


Tangled: Stardust and the 12 Zodiacs

by Viruna



Series: Celestial AU [1]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Magical Artifacts, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:22:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 154,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27131746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viruna/pseuds/Viruna
Summary: "I am NOT a witch. Sure i have friends who ARE witches, but i'm not.""I feel really uncomfortable......I hate this""LOOK! The sky is so bright it's...it's... soooo magical.""NO! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER OR ELSE YOU'LL DIE!"...."Soul....no...NO!"------------------A Varian Fanfiction. Credits to Disney Animations. I do not own Tangled the Series. The only thing i own is the plot, the OCs and the names of the places.
Relationships: Varian (Disney) & Original Female Character(s), Varian (Disney) & Other(s), Varian (Disney)/Original Character(s)
Series: Celestial AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1980355
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> \------------------  
> A Varian Fanfiction. Credits to Disney Animations. I do not own Tangled the Series. The only thing i own is the plot, the OCs and the names of the places.

Deep inside the limbo, was a tiny girl with greyish pink hair tied in a twin buns. An angry expression on her face, scowling she fisted her hands and stomped towards a small makeshift home, made of the remnants of some trunks of trees, stones and other materials that were from the outside realm. Digging something through a pile of papers, she let out a small "aha!" While gently ridding the paper of creases. A devilish glint in her eyes as she read the contents of the paper before her.

"Poor people of Corona, thought they have defeated me. " She laughed as she walked towards a makeshift desk. "They thought they can get rid of me but they are so wrong. All i need is a bit of time to regain some of my powers, just a little bit would be fine so i could immediately execute my plan. "

The girl laid out the paper on the desk placing some random objects she found around the desk to the corners of the paper holding it in place. The paper has a drawing of a diagram, a circle with 12 symbols around it with a star on the middle with 5 dots around it. Beneath the diagram was some sort of code that read out "Once all 12 is combined, the stars will give the holder a wish." and beside the code was small drawings of a comet passing by and sprinkling something on Earth. 

The little girl smirked and began to laugh maniacally. "Just a little bit of time then i'll show Corona how undefeated i can be. Just you wait...Rapunzel."

...........

In the Outside realm, a young man woke up panting and sweating furiously. He looked around the room he was in, and silently observed his surroundings.

"This...is not my home." The young man breathed out. He tried to stand up but failed to do so and groaned due to the sudden jolt of pain in his entire body.

"Oh Thank the heavens you're finally awake! I thought you were a goner when i saw you by the cliffside. I just couldn't leave you there in the storm. " A young woman walked through the door holding a tray of a towel and cold water in a bowl. "I hope you don't mind me bringing you to my travels. The medication you need cannot be found in Corona, so i brought you to my hometown."

The young man eyed the lady in front of him and declared in his mind that the lady was pretty. Beautiful even. The light from the window, making her long red hair shine perfectly framing her soft features, did not help either.He tried his best not to blush or stare too much afraid that the beautiful lady in front of him would be creeped out. Looking through her sapphire orbs, the young man thanked her with a small smile which the young woman returned brushing it off saying it wouldn't be right to leave someone in need.

"So um....where are we? You said you brought me out of Corona so...where is this place." He asked.

"We're in the village of Fritzburg. It's located a little bit far off from Corona but, not to far." She answered, while gently soaking the towel in the cold water,wringing it out, and cleaning some of the young man's wounds.

"How long was i out?" The young man asked, his turquoise eyes scanning the view of the town from the window across from him. He turned to look at the lady before him who bit her lower lip and not meeting his eyes. "What? What's wrong?"

The young woman sighed and looked at the young man with sympathy. "You...were asleep for two years..." She breathed out causing the young man's eyes to grow wide.


	2. Chapter 1: Demanitus' Journal

It was a beautiful sunny day in the kingdom of Corona. The townspeople just doing their jobs or running some errands, some housewives happily chatting with their friends while their children played around them. Some housewives who weren't chatting , were doing their laundry, hanging some clothes to dry in the heat of the sun. Overall, it was a perfect day to be productive.

However....some were..too productive.

BOOM

"Okay...I think..i miscalculated a few things." Varian coughed as he wiped off some of the chemicals that exploded on him. Ruddiger crawled to him and attempted to lick some of the chemicals but Varian shooed him away. "Ruddiger, No! This formula can kill you. Best not to try and lick it."

Varian grabbed one of the dirty handkerchiefs that littered his workspace and proceeded to clean the mess he made. Wiping off the sweat from his brow, he sighed sadly as he wrote about his failed experiment down on his journal.

"Hey, Varian! I heard some explosion earlier are you alright?" A sudden slam of the door followed by a loud voice that startled Varian causing him to let out a girlish scream and falling down. "Oh my gosh, Varian are you alright?"

"Ugh..Rapunzel please knock the next time you enter..you really surprised me there." Varian groaned as he stood up holding his head. Rapunzel helped him up and checked his head for any injuries.

"I'm so sorry! I was just so worried because of that explosion and -"

"Don't worry Rapunzel. Explosions happen all the time when you're an alchemist. " He said cutting Rapunzel off , while brushing off some dirt on his clothes. He then looked at her and smiled warmly. "Thanks for worrying though."

"Aww, it's no problem. You are my friend Varian and it's my job to worry about you." Rapunzel said smiling back at Varian as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Anyways, how is that experiment of yours?" Rapunzel walked away from Varian and looked around his lab.

"Oh, the experiment.. Uhmm..it was the cause of the explosion earlier." He answered chuckling nervously. "It was a work in progress and i may have miscalculated a bit and yeah...it went boom."

"Well i know you'll figure it out. You are the smartest person i know. You should take a break for a while. Refresh your mind for a bit. Maybe then you can get the formula right this time?" Rapunzel suggested while picking up some trash around the room. "Come out of your lab, get some fresh air."

Varian opened his mouth to say something, but stopped and closed it seeing Rapunzel's stern stare. Ruddiger chitters and jumped to the windowsill in the lab and points outside. Varian looked back at his journal then at Ruddiger and Rapunzel and sighs defeatedly making the latter cheer.

"I guess my work can wait. Come on buddy, let's go outside." Ruddiger jumps off the windowsill and onto Varian's shoulder.

"Great! Just don't be out too late." Rapunzel waves as she left the lab. Varian waved as well and ushered Ruddiger off his shoulder to change out of his work clothes and into some much more presentable clothing. Checking himself out in the mirror, he nodded and grabbed his satchel.

"Come on Ruddiger." He then grabbed the raccoon and went out of the door. Not before grabbing Demanitus's journal. Ruddiger looked at him in a questioning way.

"What? I'm still getting fresh air?" Ruddiger still looked at him skeptically. "Oh don't look at me like that. Come on, let's go."

\-------

Walking around the town, Varian grew bored instantly not used to not working in his lab. His mind wandered off to science land imagining all the types of elements and compounds he has yet to discover. All the inventions that can change the human lifestyle. Oh was he so excited to work on some inventions right ---

"WOAH! Ruddiger get off my face!" Varian exclaimed, startled when his pet raccoon suddenly jumped on his face, chittering. Pulling the mischievous raccoon of his face and placing it on his shoulder, Varian looked beside him and saw that he was right in front of Monty's sweet shop.

Monty was stocking up one of his sweets when he heard the entrance's bell ring signaling a customer. Looking up from the jar of sweets was Varian looking around the variety of sweets on the shelves.

"Varian, good to see you. How may i help you?" Monty greeted as he rubbed his hands on his apron.

"Hey there Uncle Monty, just checking around." The young alchemist answered scanning the shelves. He saw some jars of nuts, cookies, some lollipops, and almost every type of candy. While scanning some other shelves, his eyes widen seeing Ruddiger climbing up a shelf with the jars of nuts. Yelping in panic, he frantically scooped Ruddiger up scolding the raccoon to not do that again. Mumbling a sorry to Monty, he purchased a small bag of candied nuts for Ruddiger and exited the shop.

Now Varian is back to walking around town with Ruddiger happily eating his candied nuts on his owner's shoulder. Back to being bored out of his wits, Varian remembered he had brought Demanitus' journal and he quickly opened his satchel to grab the said book. Scanning the pages of the journal, Varian was fanboying inside. Even though he has read the book almost a hundred times, he still can't believe that someone so great and smart ever existed. While flipping the pages, he stumbled upon a page he doesn't remember seeing. On the page, was a circle with some sort of symbols around it and a type of scripture he didn't understand below the circle. Furrowing his brows, he decided to stop by the blacksmiths to see if Xavier knows what the symbols and scriptures are.

"Oh yes, i have heard about this before. " Xavier said as he cleaned some of his tools.

"So you know what the scripture says?" Varian asked, his eyes sparkling in happiness. Monty shook his head and Varian frowned letting out a small "awww"

"Varian,Hey! It's good to see that you are still out exploring. What are you doing here at Xavier's?" Rapunzel greeted, this time with Pascal, Eugene,Lance,Catalina and Kiera.

"And what are you doing with Lord Demanitus' journal?" Eugene asked.

"Oh well you see, when Rapunzel told me to get some fresh air, i did, but i grabbed the Journal for you know, just in case i got bored." Varian reasoned chuckling nervously making his friends eye him with a questioning stare. He gulped and continued, "While i was walking, and uh got bored, i remembered the journal and decided to read a few pages when i stumbled upon an unfamiliar page."

"But, haven't you read that book before? Surely you must have come across it once." Rapunzel asked.

"Yeah, but believe me this is the first time i saw it. I didn't recognize any of these symbols so i asked Xavier if he knows anything about it." Varian showed everyone what he was talking about and all of them looked at the page curiously.

"I've seen this symbol before, but i don't remember where." Lance said pointing to the wave-like symbol.

"What are these? Scales? A woman? What do these symbols mean?" Rapunzel asked her brows furrowing and a hand on her chin, pascal doing the same as he stood on her shoulder.

"That's why i came to Xavier for some help,but sadly he doesn't know either." Varian closed the book and placed it gently,careful not to damage the book, in his satchel.

"I don't know what the scripture says and what the symbols mean, but i know someone who can translate them for you." Xavier piped up making everyone turn to him.

"You do?" Varian asked , the glint in his eyes returned. Xavier nodded and went inside his house. A few minutes later, he came out holding a bowl of sweet berries and a jar of worms.

"The person you need lives in Melodiah forest. I'm sure you heard of the forest, it is pretty close to old Corona." Varian nodded and motioned for Xavier to continue. "She barely comes out of her home, only going to the market when needed. "

"So what do we need the sweet berries and worms for? Do we need some kind of ritual to summon her?" Eugene asked sassily nudging Lance causing the both grown men to snicker in amusement.

"You're correct Eugene." Xavier's statement caused both men to shut up and stare at the blacksmith with wide eyes.

\------

After walking to Melodiah Forest, Xavier led them to a small clearing and placed the bowl of sweet berries and jar of worms in the middle as he stepped back. Rapunzel and the others stood behind him observing what the old man is doing.

"So uhm, is this person some sort of witch?" Kiera asked.

"Oh oh! Or maybe is she some sorceress?" Catalina added.

"I am not quite sure but i am a hundred percent certain that she will be summoned using these items." Xavier answered gesturing to the small set up of items.

Ruddiger tried to take a sweet berry but was shooed by Xavier. Chittering, the raccoon took one anyway and made his way up Varian's shoulder as his owner smiled apologetically at Xavier.

"So what do we do now Xavier? Is there some ritual? Some chantings or incantations?" Rapunzel asked swaying back and forth by the soles of her feet.

"Now, we wait." Xavier sat down on the ground and everyone soon followed him. While waiting, Catalina,Kiera,Lance and Eugene began talking to each other to entertain themselves. Rapunzel was listening to them as she leaned on Eugene's shoulder while Xavier sat still in his spot. Varian took this time to reread the whole journal in case he forgot to read some pages as Ruddiger slept on his lap.

A few minutes later, Ruddiger's ears went up as the raccoon stared at the direction of the bushes. This action caused Varian to close the journal and look at where Ruddiger was looking.

"Guys, i think someone's here." Varian alerted, making his friends stop talking and turn to where the young alchemist was looking.

The bushes rustled and rustled and rustled. After a few more minutes of rustling, something came out of the bushes that surprised everyone.


	3. Chapter 2: The Astrologer

After a few minutes, the rustling of the bushes stopped. Everyone was holding their breath, scared of what was causing the rustling. A second later something came out of the bushes and everyone screamed in surprise, Lance, however, let out a girlish scream that rivaled Kiera and Catalina's screams, making everyone's focus turn to the black man, giving him a questioning look. They stood there awkwardly for a few moments before turning their gazes back to what came out of the bush to see that it was only a fox.

"Aww, it's so cute! Hey, there little guy." Rapunzel squealed kneeling and holding a hand out to pet the fox.

The fox tilted its head on the side letting out a small bark. It sniffed Rapunzel's hand before deciding that the brunette princess was allowed to pet him.

"I want to pet it too!" Kiera shouted as she kneeled next to Rapunzel to pet the fox. Catalina followed her sister, kneeling as well.

"Hoot Hoot"

The new sound startled everyone. They turned their heads to where the fox entered and saw that an owl was perched on a tree branch near them. It was a silverish gray owl with hypnotizing yellow eyes. Upon seeing the owl, the fox left the girl's hands and leaped around the branch the owl was sitting on.

"An owl? " Eugene questioned as he eyed the gray owl. The owl stared back at Eugene, blinking as it let out a small hoot.

"It looks like the two of them know each other." Varian mumbled, eyeing the owl as well.

The owl flapped its wings and flew next to the jar of worms. It picked one up with its beak and ate the worm. Upon noticing the bowl of sweet berries next to the jar of worms, the fox's eyes seemed to sparkle as he dove right into the bowl of berries, and ate every single one.

"Oh no! Their eating the tribute!" Varian panicked. He tried shooing the animals away but none listened to him. Xavier chuckled at Varian's panicked look before he told the alchemist to calm down, saying that the worm and berries were for the fox and the owl anyway. Everyone's ears perked hearing this as they turned to look at the old man in disbelief.

"You mean that we wasted our time waiting here for some witch, or whatever she is to show up? This entire time, a fox and an owl were the ones we're truly waiting for?" Varian annoyedly yelled, crossing his arms childishly as he flopped back down.

"I am NOT a witch. Sure I have friends who ARE witches, but I am not one!" A female voice shouted back from behind the bushes, making Varian stand up, and the others get their guards back up as well.

After a few seconds, a girl came out of the bushes. She groaned while taking out some leaves from her hair, and brushing off some dust from her clothes. The girl was wearing a purple dress with a dark purple half-cloak covering most of her upper body. She was also wearing a witch's hat with a moon and sun pendant pinned on the side.

"Xavier, I told you to stop doing this! What if I get used to this, and the next time Flick and Sir Hoots-a-lot goes out, and I decided not to follow them because it might be one of your 'traps' but it turns out that you weren't trying to summon me and my babies end up getting hurt?" The girl shouted at Xavier.

Feeling everyone staring at her, the girl cleared her throat and hid her hands behind her back. Smiling awkwardly, she waved to the group of people in front of her.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet a good friend of mine." Xavier went to stand behind the girl, placing both of his hands on her shoulder. "This is Soul, she's the person I told you all about."

"So she's the witch that's going to help us decode the scriptures?" Eugene asked, clearly not hearing what the girl said earlier.

Hearing the word "Witch", Soul's smile turned into a scowl as she glared at Eugene." I might not help you anymore if you keep calling me that." She growled. Eugene put his hands up in the air as he muttered a sorry.

"Now, as Xavier said, my name is Soul and I am an astrologer. For those who are not familiar with the term, it is a person who studies the stars and other heavenly bodies. And I see you guys have met my babies." She said, gesturing to the fox that was being petted by Catalina and Kiera, and the owl that was perched on her shoulder. " The fox is Flick, and this Owl right here is Sir Hoots-a-lot. I hope they didn't cause you any trouble."

"Oh psh! They were such sweethearts. My name's Rapunzel and-" Rapunzel's introduction was cut off by a loud squeal.

"O. MY.GOODNESS!! You're Princess Rapunzel!!" Soul squealed, her hands squishing her cheeks, and her eyes sparkling in excitement. She was jumping up and down causing Sir Hoots to fly off her shoulder to sit back on a branch. "I heard so much about your adventures!! How dumb of me to not recognize you sooner! Oh my gosh, I'm your biggest fan and you're my hero!"

Eugene nudged Varian, whispering to the young alchemist, "Isn't this scene quite familiar?" HE said, referring to when they first met and how Varian fanboyed about how he was Flynn Rider's biggest fan. Varian chuckled at the memory, and agreed with Eugene that the scene was indeed familiar.

"Oh wow! I'm flattered that you think so highly of me." Rapunzel said blushing a bit, taken aback by the young girl fangirling in front of her.

Soul swatted a hand giggling, "Uh, of course, everyone thinks highly of you. You're the princess who saved Corona from Zhan Tiri!"

"You heard about that?" The princess asked. Soul nodded furiously, going on and on about how word spreads fast in Corona, even to those who lived in the outskirts of the kingdom.

"Anyways, you can just call me Rapunzel. No need for formalities." Hearing this made Soul squeal more.

"And I'm sure you heard of me?" Eugene asked the young girl as he put on his smolder. Soul deadpanned, and muttered a 'never heard of you before', causing the ex-thief, now captain of the Royal guard to cry dramatically onto Lance's shoulder.

Laughing at her boyfriend's antics, Rapunzel proceeded to introduce everyone starting from Lance and the girls. Soul shyly greeted the three, saying how adorable Kiera and Catalina were much to the former's agitation. The next ones to be introduced were the animal companions Max and Pascal. After fake crying, Eugene introduced himself properly to which the astrologer ignored, and kept playing with Pascal leaving Eugene to "cry" again.

Beginning to be a little impatient, Varian caught everyone's attention with a small shout. "Sorry to bother this little meet and greet, but we do need your help." Varian said as he walked closer to Soul.

"Oh, and this one here is Varian. He's the Royal Engineer, and the raccoon on his shoulder is Ruddiger." Rapunzel introduced with a smile. Soul stared at Varian looking up, being five inches shorter than the alchemist, she observed the boy in front of her as Varian became a little uncomfortable with the staring. After a few minutes of staring, Soul snapped her fingers, realizing something.

"I recognize you! You're that guy who kept destroying or almost destroying Old Corona. The villagers called you a wizard or something." Soul concluded smiling. Varian's eyes widened, surprised that the girl knew him.

"Wow! um, I didn't know I was that well known, from destroying my village." Varian stammered, scratching the back of his neck as he looked away. Soul just shrugged.

"Yeah, living near Old Corona, I heard you're pretty famous for causing explosions or other disasters in the village." Soul looked down, and caught the book Varian had in his hand. Upon taking a closer look, she realized it was Demanitus's journal.

"Hey! Where did you get that?" She asked, gesturing to the book. Varian lifted the book and flipped to the page he needed help deciphering.

"This is what we need help on. This book is Demanitus' journal. We uh, got it from his tomb a few months ago to build the machine needed to lock Zhan Tiri up. While scanning the book earlier, I stumbled upon a page that has a circle of symbols, and some type of code below it." Varian gave the book to Soul so she can further inspect it. Flipping a few pages before going back to the page of the diagram she nodded her head and closed the book. "Xavier told us that you can decipher the code."

Soul hummed in reply. "Alright, I'll help you. But let's do this in my house. It's dangerous to be talking about stuff like this out in the open. Who knows who's listening on us." Varian and the others looked at each other before nodding in agreement with Soul. "Now, follow me. It isn't a long walk, but you might get lost so make sure to not stray away from me. This forest tends to trick you. After all, it is also known as the mystical forest of Corona." Soul then picked up Flick, and asked Sir Hoots to fly above the forest to look out if someone was following them. She then gestured to the group of people to follow her as she leads them to the bush she previously entered.


	4. Chapter 3: The Translation

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said it wasn't a long walk." Eugene said sarcastically as he dodged some branches. He yelped a little when his hair got stuck in some little branches. The girl leading them rolled her eyes at the dramatic older man, shaking her head.

"Quit whining you big baby. It isn't a long walk. You're clearly just not used to walking in this type of distance." Soul stated as she skillfully leaped through some logs, and huge tree roots. Looking back to the group behind her, she saw how the others were having a hard time jumping over the logs and tree roots. Rapunzel was getting through just fine, Kiera and Catalina were having trouble jumping over since they were smaller than everyone else. Lance and Eugene were much more busy complaining than leaping. Xavier, thanks to Varian who was thinking smart, walked around the obstacles.

Soul, who was leaning against a trunk of a tree, silently judged the group. To be honest, there was a shorter way. She just picked to go through the long path so she can mentally prepare what to with her guests. Her palms were sweaty, and her heart was thumping loudly. She never felt this way before, and she didn't know what to do. Well, this was the first time she will be having guests over, so it was quite understandable that she's panicking.

"Phew! Who knew going over logs and tree roots would be so tiring." Rapunzel said enthusiastically as she wiped her brow.

"Yeah, how come the trees here are much larger than the trees outside of the forest?" Varian asked, putting a hand under his chin in a thinking pose.

"Well, as I said before, Melodiah forest is known as the Mystical Forest of Corona. Because of its magical properties, people stray away from this forest that's why it isn't in any maps." Soul explained. "Not that I expect you to believe it. You are a man of science. But once you've seen it, you'll learn to believe it."

Varian let out a small "huh" as he looked around the forest before him. He didn't see that everyone else was moving on as he continued to stare to what seems like empty space to others. But to Varian, he was seeing an unknown element. Being the science lover he is, he attempted to walk closer to the element when he was punched on the face, snapping him out of his hypnotized state.

"W-what? Ow! That hurt - what - Who - Why did you punch me?" Varian shouted rubbing his slightly bruised cheek. He glared at Soul as the girl glared back at him, putting her hands on her hips.

" I told you not to stray away from the group! " She shouted at Varian. The alchemist turned to look back to what he was staring at earlier to find that the element he saw was gone. His eyes grew wide not understanding what happened to him.

"But....I saw an unknown rock there earlier, and now it's...gone? What?" He stammered, running his hands through his hair. Soul shook her head and gestured for the alchemist to follow her.

"People used to think the faeries are good mythical beings. While that is true, there are also evil faeries. And, what happened to you was you were tricked by an evil one. If you continued to follow that faerie, you would end up lost in the forest as wolf feed." Soul explained, causing Varian to shiver at the thought of being wolf food. They met with the rest of the group, and continued to walk through the path.

A few minutes later, they reached a fairly large clearing with a treehouse (A literal TREE house) on the middle. There was a small farm next to a small stable where a black horse was sleeping, and on the far left of the treehouse seemed to be a river since they can hear the faint sound of water gushing through. What fascinated the group more was the treehouse. It wasn't like any treehouse they have ever seen. The trunk of the huge tree was a small cabin and it seemed that the inside of the tree was hollowed out to place rooms inside. There were also small treehouses hanging on some larger branches with a bridge connecting it to the main trunk.

"Welcome to my humble abode. It's not much, but it's home."

Soul entered the cabin, and ushered everyone inside, except for Max, who had to wait inside the stable with Hoofer, the black horse. Everyone was quietly complementing the cozy treehouse to each other as Soul nervously took off her hat and half cloak revealing the rest of her dress. She tied her hair in a low ponytail as she breathed out a sigh before turning her head to look at the people sitting comfortably on the couch. She was about to speak when she spotted Lance attempting to touch a bunch of differently-sized balls revolving a much bigger ball.

"Please refrain from touching anything. " She warned annoyed. Lance took his hand back whistling innocently. Soul facepalmed, clearing her throat. "I'll just prepare some snacks for all of you, considering you guys look so tired. You can explore if you want, just please do not touch anything that looks complicated. I mean it." She stated, disappearing into another room, which seems to be the kitchen.

Varian stood up from the couch to examine the books on a shelf he found near the staircase. Most of the books were about science and astrology. His eyes sparkled as he spotted a bunch of books about alchemy on the bottom left of the shelf. He took one, scanning the pages of the book, and just like that, Varian lost himself in reading as his mind took in the words. He was surprised and impressed that there were many more processes in alchemy.

Rapunzel, Pascal, and Eugene were scanning some of the pictures on the wall. While Catalina and Kiera were playing with Flick and Ruddiger on the floor, Xavier just sat there in the couch watching the girls, and preventing Lance from breaking anything.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Soul was panicking. She was pacing back and forth in front of her pantry, while Sir Hoots-a-lot was staring at her in concern. Not liking her panicked state, Sir Hoots hooted loudly, snapping Soul out of her gibberish mumbling. Looking at her owl, she smiled slightly, as she calmed herself, breathing in and out. Soul took out some cookies from her cookie jar, and some other pastries, laying them out nicely on a glass plate. She squeezed some oranges in a large container, putting in a fair amount of sugar before mixing it. Once the orange juice was done, she then took out some glasses, and stacked them on to the tray with the plate of cookies and pastries. She lifted the tray, and made her way back to the living room, placing the treats on the coffee table while going back to the kitchen to get the container of orange juice.

"Here, enjoy!" Soul exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. Lance did not waste any time to take some of the pastries, and dove right in, munching loudly. Eugene smacked his best friend for being impolite to which, Lance apologized as he proceeded to eat normally. Everyone, after tasting the treats, complimented the astrologer for her amazing baking skills.

"So, um...may I see what I'm going to work with?" Soul asked as she sat next to Varian.

Swallowing the cookie he was eating, Varian opened his satchel, grabbing the journal before giving it to the lavender haired girl as he took another cookie from the plate.

Muttering a small thank you, Soul flipped the book open, and went to find the page of the diagram. After a while, she found the page she was shown earlier. Looking at the symbols, her jaw dropped making Varian turn to her raising an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, curious about what the girl beside him saw.

Soul abruptly stood up as she ran upstairs, surprising everyone. Flick and Sir Hoots gestured to the group to follow them, leading the group to the highest floor in the treehouse, and into a room. Upon entering the room, Rapunzel and the others were instantly awestruck. The room was designed to look like an observatory. The roof was made of pure glass with some leaves surrounding the outer part of the roof. It was wide enough that if it was night time, they would surely have a great view of the night sky, perfect for stargazing. The room was really big, probably the biggest room in the house as dozens of bookshelves can be seen around the room. Plenty of inventions littered the room, and a small alchemy set on the far corner. A huge telescope was in the middle of the room that went through the roof next to a table. There was even a mini second floor with what seemed to be the bedroom , making everyone wonder how someone could make a room this big inside a tree.

"This must be Soul's lab." Rapunzel muttered. They saw Soul going through some books on the shelves before taking one, and placing it on the table next to Demanitus' journal. The group walked closer to the girl as they watched her flip through the pages in the book she picked up earlier. She then stopped on a certain page with a diagram, and Varian saw that it was the same diagram as in Demanitus' journal.

"Alright, nobody panic, hehe." Soul chuckled nervously as she straightened up, turning to look at the confused group behind her.

"Why, what's wrong?" Rapunzel asked, concerned what got Soul jumpy.

"Hehe you see...uhm..how do I put this?" Soul stammered as she played with her fingers, biting her bottom lip. "Remember how you banished Zhan Tiri using the combined moonstone and sundrop?"

Everyone nodded their heads, and ushered the nervous girl to continue. Sighing, Soul continued. "You see, it might seem that she isn't truly gone." Upon dropping the bomb, everyone was silent. Rapunzel was the one who was shocked the most.

"What? But, how? How come she's still alive?" Rapunzel questioned, her heart thumping loudly. It was clear to everyone in the room that the brunette was panicking. Eugene went to hug his fiance.

"You see, it seems that Zhan Tiri was just sent to Limbo. Meaning, she's just waiting for a part of her powers to restore. She won't get out, don't worry. But, with the help of the 12 zodiacs' powers, she can escape." Soul explained. She then went to the other side of the table, facing everyone as she pointed to the diagram. "These are the 12 Zodiacs, discovered by the first astrologer Merlin."

"You mean the Wizard?" Varian asked. Soul shook her head, confusing the alchemist.

"Merlin was never a wizard. Though he is some sort of magician as he knew how to use objects with magical properties. Anyway, it seems that he was a good friend of Demanitus, and apparently, they knew something like this would happen." Soul pointed out, this confused not just Varian, but everyone else as well, not hearing this side of the story. Luckily, Xavier knew of this.

"Ah, I know of his legend. The Legend of the 12 stars. The legend was about how Merlin claimed that the stars saved him from dying. The stars lent him their power in the form of the Stardust, which can grant whatever the holder desires. He was allowed to use the stardust 5 times, however, after using it one time, he hid the stardust since its power is too great and if fallen into the wrong hands, chaos will break out to the entire world. " Xavier narrated, while Rapunzel and the gang listened intently as Soul was busy deciphering the code. "It is said, that the stardust is down to its last wish. And if I am correct, you are planning on using the stardust to banish Zhan Tiri forever, right Soul?"

"If I can track where the Zodiacs keep their orbs that is. After all, now that the Moonstone and Sundrop are gone, the stardust is our only hope now." Soul replied while writing something down on a piece of parchment. "Alright, I have deciphered the code!" She exclaimed proudly, punching the air.

"What's it say?" Eugene asked, not turning his gaze away from Kiera and Catalina, who were examining the telescope near the table, still holding Rapunzel in his arms.

"It says, "Once all 12 is combined, the stars will give the holder a wish". By 12, it means the zodiac orbs. And by stars, it means the stardust."

"And where will we find the Zodiacs' orbs?" Rapunzel asked as she let go of Eugene. "It could be anywhere."

Soul looked at the group with a determined look in her eyes, and a small smirk on her lips.

"I have an idea of where they are."


	5. Chapter 4: The Solution

Taking out a huge scroll, Soul laid it out on the table, pushing the two books aside. Everyone watched the astrologer with curiosity, huddling closer to the girl.

"This, my friends, is a star chart of the Zodiacs. As an astrologer, I studied everything about the stars and constellations, and such. It took a long time, but I have successfully tracked down the position of the stars every year. According to my research, the stars stay in the same position where they appear every year. Like, for example, the constellation Lyra, you can see it every June to October and you can see it again on the same date next year. Fascinating, right?" Soul explained with an excited tone, smiling widely.

"Yeah, but spare us the details, and get on with how we can find the orbs." Eugene rudely interrupted, earning a harsh nudge from Varian. The alchemist gave him a look, and Eugene muttered an apology to the girl. Soul's smile faltered a little, irked that the man interrupted her, but she continued nonetheless.

"Ahem, as I was saying. Every month, a different zodiac appears in the sky. And I have a theory. The theory is that the place where the zodiacs placed their orbs are in their respective temples, which only appear when the constellation is at its peak." Soul stopped for a moment, taking another scroll from a barrel full of scrolls, and another book from the shelves." Fortunately, I know where the temples are."

Laying out the scroll, opening it, revealing a map. Flipping the book open, and turning to a certain page, Soul marked out some places on the map.

"Here! These places are where the zodiacs' temples are located."

Rapunzel took the map, and scanned the places. Her eyes widened as all of the places were out of Corona. "Wow, these places are so...far." She commented, smiling sheepishly. Taking the map from the brunette, Eugene also scanned the places.

"Going around to these places will take almost a year to complete. Not only that, but some of the cities that we would need to get through are overrun by thieves and thugs." He informed as Lance took a peak from his shoulder.

"That's kind of like the point." The astrologer flatly stated.

'Hey look! We're going through the city of Aradia. Been a while since we went there." Lance said happily.

"Oh, by the way, what date is it today?" Soul asked, putting away the unneeded scrolls and books and giving back Demanitus' journal to Varian.

"April 6. Why?" Catalina asked.

"Well, princess, you better get permission from the king to allow you to leave Corona for this quest. We need to leave soon if we want to catch Leo's peak. His temple is a little far from Corona, and we need to get there by April 30." Soul explained as she leads the group back to the living room. "It would be best to leave as soon as possible, unless you want to wait for next year."

"Alright, I'll ask dad later. How would we meet you though?" Rapunzel asked as they went outside the treehouse.

"Don't worry, i'll meet you guys outside the castle. I'll send Sir Hoots with you guys, so you can send me a letter if we are leaving." Soul answered as she let Sir Hoots-a-lot out, perching himself on Max's head. "I'll leave Sir to guide you guys out of the forest. I'll leave them to you, Sir, can you handle it?" The owl hooted happily, mocking a salute with his wings.

"Are you sure that your owl can lead us safely through the forest?" Lance asked, unsure of the choice that the lavender-haired girl made.

"Yep! I mean, the exit is just past that bush." Soul pointed to a bush between two oak trees a little farther from the treehouse. The astrologer waved them goodbye as she entered her house, closing the door. The group looked at each other, and went to the bush Soul pointed, and lo and behold, they were back to the clearing they were in earlier that day. Their jaws dropped as they turned to look back where they just exited.

"I think....she purposely went through the long way just to tick us off." Eugene said, his eyebrow twitching in irritation.

"You mean there was a shorter path!? It was hard to jump over those logs and tree roots you know!" Kiera shouted angrily as her sister patted her shoulder attempting to comfort her.

Meanwhile, back in the treehouse, Soul stared at a painting of a man in the living room.

"If you want to bring people to our house, remember that you must lead them through the long path. The forest will test them. If they survived, it means they pass."

She smiled softly as she looked through the window. "Well, they passed. Varian almost failed but he has a good heart, so I decided to save him. Hope you won't mind big brother."

\---------------------------------------

"What do you mean that Zhan Tiri is still alive?" King Frederick asked shocked at the news his daughter brought to him.

"I thought she died when the Moonstone and Sundrop were united?" Queen Arianna also asked.

"That was what we thought as well. But your majesties, while reading Demanitus' journal again, I encountered an unfamiliar page." Grabbing the book from his satchel, Varian flipped the book open to the page where the diagram is, showing it to the king and queen. "At first, we didn't know what these symbols and code mean until Xavier introduced us to someone who knew how to decipher them."

"Who is this person?" The king questioned, curious to know who gave them the news that Zhan Tiri is still alive.

Varian was about to say who, when the doors to the throne room opened. Everyone in the room turned to look to see who entered. The person was wearing a black cloak, with the hood up covering their face. The stranger pulled down their hood and Varian, Eugene, Lance, and Rapunzel's eyes widened in surprise.

"Soul? What are you doing here?" Rapunzel asked the girl. She wasn't expecting to see her again so soon.

"Well, I wasn't planning on coming here, but I figured that you guys need help in explaining the situation to the king." Soul sheepishly answered as she curtsied to the king, bowing slightly. She then walked to stand next to Varian, giving the boy a small smile, to which the alchemist smiled back.

"My name is Soul Rivers, your majesty. I was the one who deciphered what the symbols said. And it is true, Zhan Tiri is still alive, she's just stuck in limbo." Soul informed with a serious face. The king and queen looked at each other before looking back to the girl in front of them.

"What needs to be done then?" King Frederick questioned.

"We need to find the Zodiacs' orbs, and the stardust to banish Zhan Tiri for good. " The astrologer answered. King Frederick thought for a moment when Soul spoke up again. "Oh, and I may have forgotten to mention. Zhan Tiri is still capable to gain and access her powers even in limbo. We need to get to the orbs before she does. With the stardust being down to its last wish, if Zhan Tiri gets it first, we're all doomed."

"Fine then, I allow you to leave Corona to find these orbs. I'll provide you with supplies and -"

"We want to go too." Rapunzel said cutting off her dad. The king and queen were shocked to hear that their daughter wants to join in this dangerous adventure.

"NO! I will not allow you to risk your life again. I lost you once, and I almost lost you again. As your father, I don't want you to put yourself in danger again." King Frederick protested, slamming his fist on the throne's arm rest.

"But you'll allow Soul to risk her life?"

"Better her life than yours."

Shocked at her father's words, Rapunzel felt angry about what her father said. Not just for not allowing her to go, but also because he was perfectly fine to sacrifice a citizen, much less a teenage girl.

"No! We will go with Soul no matter what you say. She's my friend, I can't allow her to go alone. I turned my back on a friend once, and I'm not doing that again." Hearing this, Varian perked up. His eyes widening. "Also, we already defeated Zhan Tiri before. We can handle this dad! Please allow us to go."

Soul was shocked to hear that the princess considered her as a friend, especially since they just met earlier. It confused her to no end, yet it also melted her heart. 

King Frederick was about to disagree again when Arianna placed her hand on top of her husband's hand. Frederick turned to look at his wife who was smiling softly at him, nodding her head.

"Arianna...you're allowing her?" Rapunzel looked at her mom with hopeful eyes.

"Frederick, Rapunzel was hidden in a tower for 18 years. She didn't have an opportunity to see the world, to go out on adventures. I know you're worried, but it's okay. She's surrounded by her friends, and i'm sure Eugene wouldn't let anything happen to her." Arianna defended. She turned to look at Soul, who dropped her serious expression form earlier. " I trust you'll take care of Rapunzel if she comes with you?"

"Of course, your majesty. She did consider me her friend, and I consider her as one too." Soul answered as she and Rapunzel exchanged looks.

"Alright, I'll allow it." King Frederick sighed as Rapunzel squealed in happiness hugging her parents. "I assume you all need to leave soon. Why don't you all rest now so you can prepare to leave for your journey tomorrow." Nodding, Rapunzel, Soul and the others left the throne room.

"So, who else is going?" Soul asked as they exited the throne room. "Eugene is going obviously. Who else?"

"I'm going." Varian replied, raising his hand.

"I want to go too. It's been a while since I left Corona. " Lance said smiling. "I'll bring the girls too. I'm sure they would like to explore as well."

"Alright, I suggest you guys bring some clothing, food, extra money, weapons -"

"Weapons?" Varian asked, wondering why they need weapons.

"Yeah, you know, for self-defense? Anyway, weapons, a tent, some sleeping bags -"

"The tent and sleeping bags won't be necessary. Dad's providing us a caravan." Rapunzel said cutting Soul off, for the second time.

"Yeah, but one could never be too prepared." Glancing out the window, Soul noticed that it was already night time. "Well, I better go home. I need to prepare as well."

"Why don't you just stay the night here? It's already late, and it's dangerous for a young girl to roam the streets at night." Rapunzel offered. Soul shook her head, smiling.

"Thanks, but no thanks. As I said, I need to prepare as well. Don't worry, I can protect myself just fine. Come now Sir Hoots." Upon her call, the owl flew towards his owner, perching himself on Soul's shoulder. "See you, tomorrow guys. Goodnight." Waving goodbye, Soul and Sir Hoots-a-lot left the castle as they made their way home, riding Hoofer.


	6. Chapter 5: The Journey Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can also be found in wattpad

"Is everybody ready?" Rapunzel asked her friends. It was around eight in the morning, and everyone except for Rapunzel was still sleepy and barely awake.

They were waiting for Soul to show up by the castle gates as Eugene was helping some guards place their things inside the caravan that the king lent the group for their journey. The caravan was a bit bigger than the old caravan Rapunzel and the last group used when they were following the black rocks.

"When do you think Soul will get here? " Eugene asked as he leaned on the door of the caravan. "I mean, Old Corona is pretty far. Shouldn't we just have met her outside of Corona? We are taking the same route we took before right?"

Just then, a hoot was heard from above. Looking up, it was Sir Hoots-a-lot holding a scroll in his claws. Dropping the scroll, Rapunzel caught it and opened the letter reading its contents.

"Meet by the kingdom walls. I am still marking out the safest and fastest route to take. I would have done it last night, but I got home super late, and I still packed my stuff. Sorry for the inconvenience - Soul." She read out loud. Sir Hoots-a-lot let out a loud hoot as he perched himself on Rapunzel's shoulder, causing Pascal to move from his owner's right shoulder, to the left.

"Great, so we were waiting for nothing?" The ex-thief complained, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Cut her some slack Eugene. She is helping us the best she can. Plus, without her help, we wouldn't have known that Zhan Tiri would be coming back." Varian scolded the older man lightly as he yawned. The bags under his eyes were evident to everyone who would look at him.

"Yikes! Varian, did you even sleep last night? You look like a zombie." Eugene asked, his voice laced with concern as he watched his friend, who was struggling to keep his eyes open.

Varian yawned again, waving his hand as if to say he's fine.

"I barely slept, but it's alright. I stayed up late to make some chem balls and some chemical bullets for my gun. Soul did say we needed weapons to defend ourselves." Noticing the looks his friends gave him when he said the word gun, he waved his hands and shook his head muttering a series of no's. "The gun is harmless. It won't kill anybody. With the power of alchemy though, i have constructed a way to trap enemies using long-range shooting." He explained, causing the couple to let out a sigh of relief, knowing their friend won't commit any murder, and land him back in prison.

"Angry and Catalina went back to sleep after flopping down on the bed inside. Are we gonna leave soon?" Lance asked as he peaked his head from the caravan's window. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Varian looked at each other and nodded, having a silent conversation among themselves.

"Yep! We're leaving right now." Eugene answered as he took a seat in front of the caravan to direct the horses.

"Wait, I thought we were gonna wait for Soul?"

"Change of plans buddy. We're gonna meet her by the kingdom walls. She said she got caught up on something." Varian answered as he entered the caravan. Ruddiger and Sir Hoots following after him.

Before entering, Rapunzel hugged her parents goodbye as the king and queen wished them safe travels. Lightly pulling on the reins, the horses moved pulling the caravan along with each move they made.

"Next stop, Old Corona!"

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Soul told us that she'd wait for us here, so where in the world is ....." Eugene's sentence was cut off as he spotted the girl sleeping on a tree branch. "..she." Eugene ordered Max and Oren, a horse lent by the king, to stop moving.

Varian, who was watching Eugene drive from a small window behind the coachman's boot, turned to look at where the older man was looking.

"Is that Soul?" The alchemist asked as he saw a familiar purple dressed girl dozing off on a tree branch.

Eugene let out a small yep as he walked closer to the tree the girl they were waiting for was sleeping. Varian also got out of the caravan, and stood next to his friend. The two men looked at each other unsure how to wake the girl up. While silently bickering as to who would wake Soul up, Sir Hoots-a-lot flew to his owner, and continuously pecked the girl's forehead.

"OW! Hoots! Stop! I'm awake now, see? Stop! It hurts!" Soul shouted in pain trying to push the bird away. Seeing that his owner is awake, Sir Hoots-a-lot hooted proudly as he flew back inside the caravan. Rubbing her eyes, irritated that her sleep was interrupted, she looked down to see that Eugene and Varian were staring up at her.

"Hey guys, Good morning." She chirped, waving down at them.

"You made us wait for you, and the only thing you say to us is good morning?" Eugene angrily shouted. The girl only shrugged as she took her satchel, putting it on before jumping down. Seeing how high up she was, Varian got concerned as he ran below the tree to catch the girl. However, it didn't end well since he ended up being the pillow to cushion Soul's fall.

"Varen! Are you alright? What were you doing there?" Soul asked as she hurriedly got off the boy's back, helping him up.

"With that high up, if I wasn't there you would have died." He croaked, taking the girl's hand as he stood up. "Are you crazy? Why would you jump down so carelessly? What if you get hurt?" He scolded, dusting himself off.

"I could handle myself thank you. Plus, my tree is much more taller than this branch. But, um, thank you anyway." Soul then proceeded to walk to the bust next to the tree she was in, pulling out a huge rucksack, making Varian wonder how she could carry that. "Flick!" She called, and on cue, the red fox popped his head out from the tree's leaves before jumping down into his owner's arms. 

"You guys were late. I have been waiting for almost an hour." Soul complained as she petted flick's fur, the fox purring under her touch.

"Well, it wasn't us who decided to change venues for the meeting place." Eugene sassily said, furrowing his brows.

"Well, I'm sorry that I spent hours drafting the safest and fastest routes for us to take last night. Would you like to go through Thornedge Mountain, Steephill River, and The Canyon of Doom? Because I'm pretty sure those places are a death trap for travelers." Soul shot back narrowing her eyes towards the ex-thief.

Eugene just grunted, and told the two teenagers to go inside the caravan so they could leave. Holding the door open, Varian let Soul enter first giving the girl a small smile as he did so. "After you."

"Uhm...thanks." Soul replied, masking her confusion. Deciding not to think about it too much, she gave him a smile of her own in return. Not because she was thankful, no, she returned it because she thought it would be rude not to smile back.

Softly greeting the others inside the caravan, Soul took a seat next to Rapunzel, who was sitting by the small window behind the coachman's boot next to Varian. Although Soul said that she would not think about it, she couldn't help but feel curious at Varian's gesture earlier. Feeling a tug on her sleeve, Rapunzel turned to look at the young girl next to her who was looking up at her with bright curious eyes.

"What is it Soul?" Rapunzel asked softly, like a big sister would. Soul gestured Rapunzel to lean closer, the older girl doing so.

"Why did Varian let me enter first? He was in front of me, and he opened the door first. Wouldn't it be logical if he entered first?." The astrologer whispered looking confused. Rapunzel stared at the girl before giggling. Soul was now much more confused than earlier. "Why are you laughing?"

"Varian was just being a gentleman Soul. That was quite sweet of him, to be honest." Rapunzel answered. Soul tilted her head like a small puppy.

"What does that mean? Does he like me then? Men who act gentlemanly towards women normally means that they feel some sort of attraction towards them, or at least that's what I read."

Rapunzel giggled more, shaking her head. "No, Soul. When men act like a gentleman, it means that they are just being kind and respectful towards women. It doesn't necessarily mean that they like someone." Rapunzel explained. "Well, most of the time. But Varian's just being kind."

Soul was about to ask the princess more when she was cut off by Eugene.

"Hey Stargazer, where are we heading first?" Brushing off the nickname, Soul pulled out a map from her rucksack. She opened the map, and Rapunzel who was next to her noticed the many ink stains and erased marks on the map. The final mark seemed to be in red ink, so it was much easier to notice over all the black ink.

"We'll head to the Jungle of Lion first. At this pace, we should be able to arrive there by April 24 with the route I marked. The latest time we can arrive is by April 27. " She informed the coachman. "To be honest, there is a much shorter route, but I wouldn't risk going through it. Most people who cross there never come back alive. Don't know why."

"How do you know these routes? You must have traveled a lot huh?" Varian asked as he took a peak on the map. Soul frowned a little, but she quickly put on a smile not knowing Varian saw her frown.

" I never really left the house. But my parents used to travel. I never met them before, but their old journals and maps were still around the house. I would read them when I was younger so I guess that's how I knew of the routes. " She answered as she closed the map.

"What happened to your parents?" Lance asked, hearing what the astrologer told Varian.

"I don't know. They died I guess. Gold never really told me much about them. He hates talking about them."

"Who's Gold?" Kiera asked, now awake from the commotion earlier.

"My Brother."

"Where was he when we went to your house?" This time, it was Catalina's turn to ask.

"None of your business." Soul answered sharply, silencing everyone in the caravan. Soul let out a sigh, and a small apology as she looked at the ground. Everyone was silent after the astrologer's small outburst. "He's gone." She whispered after a few minutes. Everyone looked at each other before deciding not to press the matter further, seeing as it was a sore subject for the girl.

The rest of the travel was silent. After a few hours, it was night time. Eugene stopped at a small clearing saying that they need to rest for the night. Everyone agreed as Lance and Eugene began to set up a small campfire so they can cook some dinner. After dinner, the rest of the group was having fun outside, while Soul remained inside the caravan. Being isolated for 14 years, and suddenly being surrounded by people, it was pretty overwhelming for her. Snuggling closely to Flick, a small tear ran down her eyes.

"I wish you were here Gold."

\------------------------

Outside the caravan while everyone else was telling stories, a certain alchemist noticed that a certain astrologer was missing, so he decided to check inside the caravan. Entering the cabin-like carriage, he saw the lavender-haired girl asleep on one of the couches near the window. Varian stared at the girl with slight sympathy, after hearing the girl was alone for most of her life. Sure, Rapunzel was the same, but not everyone acts and copes the same. Taking a blanket from a cabinet, he draped it over the girl's body. He watched as Soul snuggled in the blanket while Flick's head poked out of the blanket. The fox moved beside his owner before nodding at Varian as a thank you for not letting Soul freeze from the chilly evening wind. Varian nodded back before going back to his friends, smiling warmly.


	7. Chapter 6: The Game

"I spy, with my little eye, something blue!" Kiera stated, playing I Spy with Catalina, Lance, and Rapunzel.

"The sky!" Catalina shouted, guessing what "something blue is".

"Wrong!"

"hmm, a blueberry?" Lance guessed. Kiera let out a beeping sound, shaking her head.

"Wrong again!"

Rapunzel looked around the room and her eyes landed on Varian's blue hair stripe.

"Is it Varian's hair stripe?" She guessed. Hearing his name being called, Varian looked up from his book muttering a small what. 

"And we have a winner! Something blue is Varian's differently colored hair." Kiera announced laughing. Blushing, Varian covered his hair giving the black-haired child a small glare.

"Hey! Leave my hair alone."

"Me next, me next!" Catalina volunteered. Kiera nodded and let her sister take the stage.

The four continued to play, while Varian kept reading his book, well, he was trying to keep reading but he kept being distracted from his friends' loud voices and laughing. He sighed and closed his book glancing down to see Ruddiger sleeping next to him. His eyes then landed on the lavender haired girl who was in the spot she was in last night, sewing something. Varian contemplated if he should talk to her, after all, he isn't very social. Usually, it was the other who would start a conversation not him. 

"Has no one ever told you that staring at someone is considered rude?" A voice snapped the alchemist from his thoughts. His focus fully turned to the girl he was staring at. Blushing, he apologized and looked away. After a few seconds, Varian spoke breaking the awkward silence he created.

"So, what are you doing?" He asked awkwardly turning to face the astrologer again.

"Sewing." Soul straightforwardly answered, not taking her eyes off from her project. Varian looked away silently scolding himself from asking such an obvious question. 

"Right, so uh." He cleared his throat attempting to start another conversation with the girl sitting across from him. Something about her made him want to be her friend despite the girl being hard to talk to. Varian was not one to give up so easily though, he was persistent on befriending her. "What I was trying to say was -"

"Please stop. You're only embarrassing yourself more. It's obvious how you can't start a conversation." Soul bluntly said, still not taking her eyes off what she's sewing. 

"Like you can do any better in starting one?" Varian replied, not liking how she turned him down before he could even start talking.

"Of course not, that's why I don't start one. I end one." She shot back sharply. Varian huffed puffing his cheeks as he leaned back on his seat crossing his arms. Why was this girl so hard to talk to? Not even Kiera was this hard to have a conversation with, even the king was easier to talk to!

Soul bit her lip as she stole a glance at the alchemist. Turning back to her sewing, she sighed sadly. Why must I keep pushing people away? He only wanted to be friends with me. Looking back on her rude actions towards the boy, she let out another sigh. Guess being social isn't really my thing.

"Hey Varian, Soul we're playing a new game. Want to join?" Rapunzel asked the two teenagers from the caravan floor. 

"What game?" Varian asked raising a brow.

"It's a game called Never Have I Ever. Lance made it up just now." The brunette replied. Shrugging, Varian went to sit next to Rapunzel.

"Sure, what're the rules?"

"The 'It' player mentions something he or she has never done. If you as well didn't do it, you put down a finger. You have 10 lives, corresponding to your fingers." Lance explained.

"What happens if you run out of fingers?"

"You're out of the game. last one standing gets to do one of the things they haven't done yet."

"Alright, I get it. Let's start." Varian enthusiastically said, excited to play the game.

"Wait!" Rapunzel called, "Soul wanna join?"

Soul looked up from her sewing, contemplating a bit if she should join. She glanced at the black-haired boy who was looking at her, waiting for her answer, and remembering her actions. Maybe I can still make things right? I also don't want to turn down a game with the princess. She sighed and put her sewing kit and project away and went to sit down to Rapunzel's right side. Varian on the left.

"Sure, why not." Varian had a surprised expression on his face. He didn't expect the girl to accept Rapunzel's invitation considering the girl's rude replies when he attempted to start a conversation. He caught Soul glancing at him and when he turned to look at her, Soul's face turned red slightly as she quickly looked away. Varian raised an eyebrow at this before he decided to shake it off, concluding the girl was just being weird.

"Okay, I'll start!" Rapunzel volunteered. "Never have I ever.... burnt something I baked when baking. " She announced putting down a finger. Nobody else aside from Soul put down a finger.

"Wow! Really?" Catalina asked. Soul nodded shyly as everyone turned to look at her.

"I used to do alchemy a lot before, and when I found a small cookbook from the kitchen shelves I decided to try baking because my brother was too busy doing something and I wanted cookies." She explained, hearing that she knows alchemy, Varian was surprised that someone else was interested in the science of alchemy. "Baking and cooking are somewhat similar to alchemy but less dangerous so I thought why not try it. It ended very well, and the cookies turned out delicious. Since then, I kept baking sweets to keep me occupied when I'm bored."

Rapunzel smiled at the girl sharing a look with Pascal, remembering how she learned to bake. Soul's reason for how she learned how to bake was reminiscent of how she learned to bake.

"Varian you're next." The princess ushered. Varian thought for a moment. Not wanting to lose, he whipped up an experience he knows no one else has done.

"Never have I Ever, attempted to destroy a kingdom." He announced proudly. Everyone looked at him with a look saying 'what the heck?'

"Do you even understand the rules V?" Kiera asked crossing her arms.

"Yeah, you state something you've never done and..." Varian paused for a second before facepalming. The group just snickered at the teen. "My brain thought it was a good idea... That was a dumb a move."

"A very dumb move." Lance laughed. 

"Looks like everyone gets to put down a finger except, Varian. " Catalina announced as everyone did so. Varian's eye twitched in annoyance as he saw Soul giggle at him. The girl caught him looking and she let out a smug grin. 

Oh, it is on. Varian thought.

After Varian, Lance was next, followed by Catalina. Next to Catalina was Kiera. 

"Never have I ever, stayed up past midnight." Kiera said as she and her sister put down a finger high-fiving each other. Kiera then nudged Soul who was sitting next to her, indicating that it was her turn.

Soul was really nervous. Everyone was looking at her and it made her feel a bit uncomfortable. Hearing a small bark, she looked beside her and saw flick snuggling next to her. Smiling, Soul petted the fox before turning back to the group.

"Never have I ever, seen Zhan Tiri in person before." She said slightly smirking as she put down a finger. Everyone looked at her and groaned.

"That, was genius." Lance commented as Soul giggled lightly.

They played for a little while and Kiera, Catalina and Lance were out safely. The only ones left were Varian, Soul, and Rapunzel. Varian was getting agitated, he was sure he would lose. He still had 6 fingers left. Soul Had five and Rapunzel had one. It was now Soul's turn.

"Never have I ever not have a pet when I was younger." Soul said putting down a finger. Rapunzel was confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, when I was younger I already had a pet. I used double negatives you see. If Pascal was your pet or was with you since you were a child, then you get to put your finger down." Soul explained. Rapunzel squealed put down her final finger, relieved she wasn't going to do a dare.

"Does 14 years old count as younger?" Varian asked.

"How old are you?"

"Right now? 16."

"Then no. " 

Varian groaned. By now, Soul was down to 4 fingers and he still has 6.

"Giving up?" Soul asked the alchemist with a smirk on her face.

"No! I can still turn things around. " Varian replied sitting up straight as he cracked his knuckles.

A few rounds later the two had a very intense battle. As of now, they both have one finger left.

"I have never seen a heated battle of Never Have I ever before. Catalina commented as she lied down on her stomach on the bed next to Kiera and Lance.

"Do smart people really have to make everything complicated?" Kiera said leaning her head on her hand.

"Are you ready to lose Black hole?" Varian taunted, narrowing his eyes on the lavender haired girl in front of him, Soul doing the same.

"Bring it on Beaver." Soul shot back. Varian growled at the nickname and decided to think a bunch of stuff he hasn't done before that for sure the girl has done. 

"Alright, my turn." Oh shoot. Varian forgot that it was the girl's turn. He paled at the Soul's smirk. 

"Never have I ever -" Soul was cut off when they heard Eugene scream. 

Alarmed, Lance and Rapunzel went to see what happened. Varian following behind. Soul, on the other hand, stayed put trying to make the two younger girls calm.

"Eugene, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Rapunzel frantically asked her fiance. 

"What's happened buddy?" Lance asked as well, concerned for his best friend.

"I'm alright. It's just that we almost fell down a cliff." The ex-thief answered. He then moved the caravan in a much safer place away from the cliff. After doing so, he entered the caravan to talk to the astrologer. "Stargazer, I thought you said this was a safe route?" 

"It is." Soul answered, confused at the older man.

"Your map almost lead us down falling to our deaths!" Eugene screamed stressed that he almost got everyone killed. 

"Well, everyone knows that not because it is marked in a map means that it is the same path to cross." The girl answered with a slight sass in her tone. 

"Kid, not everyone knows that!" Eugene argued. He was about to near the girl, Soul breathed in scared at the angry man who was about to near her until Rapunzel stopped him.

"Eugene, calm down! It's not her fault. I mean it is a little bit, but Soul means well. " The brunette said as she attempted to calm the angry man.

"I think we should rest for now. Eugene is stressed and with a sort of dead-end in front of us, it's best to travel tomorrow." Varian suggested attempting to clear the intense atmosphere.

"But it's still a little early? Shouldn't we continue?" Soul asked.

"It's best to rest for now. Plus, Eugene needs to cool off." Varian answered the girl giving Rapunzel a look. Rapunzel nodded at this and took Eugene with her outside. Lance excused himself so he can gather firewood as he instructed his adoptive children to set up dinner.

"I still don't see what I did wrong." Soul whispered as everyone left the caravan, leaving her and Varian inside.

"You weren't entirely wrong. It's just that, not everyone knows that you know?" Varian answered the girl as he sat next to her. "What did you mean when you said the cliff is not a dead end?"

"It's really not. I could have helped you know, but Eugene doesn't trust me yet." Soul replied as she rummaged through her rucksack, looking for something.

"How?" Varian asked again, raising a brow. 

Soul contemplated for a while, should she tell him? No. Not yet. 

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Soul sighed sadly.

"Eugene's not mad at you. Well, he is, but it's just stress talking. He has been driving all day." Varian said trying to comfort the girl.

"I'll believe it when I see it." The girl replied.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was midnight. Everyone was already asleep. Eugene shared a bed with Rapunzel, Kiera and Catalina shared a bed, Lance and Varian were asleep on the floor in a sleeping bag. Ruddiger was next to Varian, Pascal was on a table, Sir Hoots-a-lot was perched on a lamp, and Flick was asleep beside the couch Soul was sleeping on.

A black shadow eyed everyone as it silently exited the caravan. Nearing the cliffs, the shadow muttered something when the rocks from the cliff formed a bridge blue aura flowed from the rocks as aquamarine pendant glowed the same color. The shadow ignored its glowing pendant and thought it was just because of the spell.


	8. Chapter 7: The Silly Debate

"WHEN DID THESE ROCKS APPEAR?" A scream reverberated outside the caravan. Rubbing her eyes as she was awakened by the scream, Soul went outside to see what the commotion is.

"Eugene, what in the world of sun and moon are you screaming about?" Soul muttered sleepily, swaying a little on her feet.

"THIS!" Eugene screamed once again, Soul covering her ears to block the sound, as he pointed towards the cliff who had a bridge connecting it to the other side.

"Woah. Phenomenal." A voice whispered beside Soul, causing the poor girl to jump in surprise placing a hand on her chest near her heart.

"Please don't sneak up on me again like that." Soul said to the boy next to her. Varian just shrugged, and muttered a small good morning while yawning and stretching his arms out.

"You should grow some muscles. It might save you from potential enemies. " Soul commented as she unconsciously checked the alchemist up and down.

"First of all, I do have muscles. It's just not evident with the clothes I'm wearing. And second, I thought it was rude to stare at someone?" Varian remarked, quoting what Soul said yesterday. Blushing in embarrassment, the girl huffed, and left the boy's side as she went back inside the caravan. The alchemist let out a victory smirk as he watched the girl leave.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure it's safe to cross?" Rapunzel asked as she sat next to Eugene.

"I tried crossing it earlier, and jumped around on it as well."

"I wished you fell." Soul muttered, still angry at him because of what happened yesterday.

Eugene glared at the girl from the window before continuing what he said. "It can hold us. Probably. Hyaa!" The ex-thief replied hesitantly as he tugged on the reins making Max and Oren move.

Meanwhile, inside the caravan, Varian was in his nerd - his science mode, and was going on and on about how it was not scientifically possible for rocks to magically sprout overnight. Ruddiger, Flick, and Hoots were watching the alchemist pacing back and forth.

"Can't you just be thankful that we can now cross the cliff?" Soul asked annoyed at the loud footsteps the boy is making, distracting her from reading.

"But it just doesn't make sense! You're a man of science -" The girl gave him a harsh glare, rolling his eyes as he corrected himself, "WOMAN of science. You're supposed to be questioning this too!"

"Yeeaah, but I live in a forest that has mythical creatures, friends who can use magic, and all those fantasy stuff. Things like these are nothing new for me." The girl explained as she flipped to the next page in her book.

"How can you accept it just like that? Normally, scientists would take the chance to study these kinds of phenomena. " Varian stated as he sat down across from the girl, Ruddiger instantly leaped in his owner's arms, snuggling in his hold.

"I just don't mess with nature, or rather, I was taught not to mess with nature. That's why the creatures never bother me. It's all about mutual respect. I don't bother them, they don't bother me. Plus, nature can give you nasty karma." The astrologer replied, her eyes scanning the words in the book she's reading.

Varian didn't talk anymore after that, he just stared at the window, watching as the caravan crossed the supernatural bridge of rocks that sprouted overnight.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Days have passed, and the group is now closer to their destination. Not forgetting his goal, Varian still tried to befriend Soul, only ending up having a frienemy relationship with the girl. Well, he wouldn't call them friends yet, but it was getting there. Throughout the travel towards The Jungle of Lion, the alchemist successfully made a conversation with the astrologer about some things, like their favorite food, some failed experiments, and experiences in alchemy which ended with them debating about which branch of science was better; Alchemy or Astrology. Thus, their small rivalry began.

"Water is water, stop arguing already!" Kiera screamed in agitation as the two scholars of the group argued again.

What caused this debate? It started when the group stopped by a nearby lake to collect some more water. Varian scooped some water up in his bottle and drank it before scooping up some more for storage, Soul saw what he did and slapped the back of the boy's head.

"You idiot! You're supposed to boil lake water first before you drink it." Soul scolded as the alchemist glared at her rubbing his head.

"OUCH! Why go all the trouble to boil it? The water's clean you know." Varian replied as he took more bottles from his satchel to collect more water.

"You don't know that! There could be many germs in that water you drank. You could get sick or worst, catch some deadly disease." Soul explained as the boy in front of her ignored her. Growling, she slapped the boy again earning a loud ouch from the alchemist.

"What was that for?"

"That was for ignoring me! You better purify that water later before you drink it, you hear me!"

\------------------------------------------------------------------

After collecting some water, the group went back on the road as Soul collected their bottles so she can purify the water. When it was Varian's turn to give his bottles, he shooed the girl, saying he would give her his bottles later. Rolling her eyes, Soul entered the small kitchen area in the caravan, and proceeded to boil the water. After a while of boiling, she then poured the purified water in the bottles when she noticed that a certain alchemist's bottles were still not there. She went inside where the large bedroom and living space in the caravan were, and spotted Varian drinking from his bottle while reading. Stomping to the boy, he slapped the back of his head. Hard.

"OUCH! What the- What was that for?" The boy screamed in pain.

"I told you to don't drink unpurified water! It's not healthy." Soul shouted, placing her hands on her hips.

" I told you! It's fine, I've drunk unfiltered water before and I'm still alive."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to be careful you know."

"I have a strong immune system. I barely get sick, so it's fine! Plus, you would just be wasting coal."

"So you're just gonna wait until you get sick to stop drinking dirty water?"

"If it proves that drinking so would prove it's bad, then yeah!"

"You're unbelievable!"

Well, you're - "

"WATER IS WATER, STOP ARGUING ALREADY!"

And that's how it started. Varian and Soul turned to look at the small child.

"Varian, Soul's right, you shouldn't be drinking dirty water. It could give you a very bad case of bowel sickness." Rapunzel said from outside, as she was sitting next to Eugene. Hearing the word 'bowel sickness' , Varian paled and blush in embarrassment as he begrudgingly handed his water bottles to the smirking girl.

Relieved that the arguing stopped, Rapunzel turned to Eugene.

"How much farther until we get to The Jungle of Lion, Eugene?" She asked.

"Judging from where we are, I'd say we should arrive sometime around the next day if we continue at this pace." Eugene replied smiling as he looked back at his fiance. "Soul, can you hear me?"

"Yeah!"

"Do you know where Leo's temple is located? I'd hate to know that we would be searching for it when we get there." The older man chuckled.

"Yep! I know where it is. The temples are always visible, it's the orbs that appear every peak." The girl replied, her voice somewhat muffled as she was in another compartment in the caravan.

"I'm somehow glad that there are a lot of smart people out there. Imagine if people like Soul and Varian didn't exist. Life would be so boring and hard." Rapunzel commented softly as she looked through the small window that gave her a view inside the caravan, smiling at Varian who was reading, and at Soul who gave back the boy's bottles. Varian reached for the bottles, not taking his eyes off his book, ignoring the girl's warnings that the bottles are hot. The alchemist almost dropped the water bottles as he felt how hot they were, luckily he was wearing his gloves that protected him from most of the heat. Soul just shook her head at the boy's clumsiness, giggling softly.

"Yeah, I'm glad as well, Blondie."

\-----------------------------

"We are taking this direction."

"No, this way is faster. Plus, according to the map, that place is full of spiders. I don't want to encounter those demon spawns."

"Kid, that map is outdated. I'm telling you, this is the right way."

If you think Soul and Varian's small frenemy relationship was bad, then you haven't seen Soul and Eugene's relationship yet.

"Outdated or not, we are following the map." Soul argued, thrusting the map back in her rucksack.

"The last time we followed the map, we almost died. I'm not trusting that map anymore!" Eugene huffed, turning his back from the girl.

"Then tell me, how are we gonna get to the jungle if we're not following this map?"

"We're gonna wing it."

"Eugene, no!"

"Eugene, yes!"

"Eugene, just die already."

"Back at ya, star gazer."

"Children, please stop fightinAg or else no dessert." Varian shouted, annoyed at their bickering.

"He/ She started it." The two replied, pointing at each other.

"I don't really care who started what, but please! Let me sleep!" Varian pleaded, pulling on his hair.

"Now you know how we feel when you and Soul are arguing about the smallest things." Kiera commented.

"UGHH!"


	9. Chapter 8: The Lion's Temple

"Welcome to the Jungle of Lion!!!" Soul chirped as she stood in front of the entrance to the jungle, spreading her arms wide. "Follow me, I'll lead us to the temple."

"It looks like a normal jungle." Kiera commented crossing her arms as she walked with the others, following Soul.

"What did you expect? Some dangerous man-eating plants?" Soul asked narrowing her eyes a bit as she looked over her shoulder. "Yeah, there is. But don't worry, as long as you don't disturb them they won't do anything." She followed, the other's faces paled at the thought of the dangerous plants. "Oh, and there are some predators as well. Watch out for that."

After walking for a while, they stopped under a huge jungle tree. The group was a bit cautious of the plants surrounding the tree, but the astrologer reassured them that the plants are perfectly safe. Except, the one Varian was about to touch.

Out of everyone, Varian was the most fascinated about everything he saw. He wanted to take some samples from some of the plants he saw to bring back home and study its components, if it will be beneficial or not. In other words, he was geeking out. Every time he would try to take a sample though, Soul would stop him every once in a while to warn him if he needs to cover his nose or eyes when handling the plant. He was ecstatic to know that the girl didn't stop him from wanting to take some samples, maybe it was because she was also taking samples.

"For an astrologer, you know a lot about plants." Eugene commented as he watched the girl help Varian collect some plants near the huge tree. 

"Well, my brother loves plants. He often bought books about different types of plants or he would write his own book when he travels, coming back home with a journal full of information about different types of plants he encountered, sometimes he even brought back samples." Soul replied as she cut off a flower using some shears she had in her rucksack, placing the flower in a water bottle to keep the flower from dying. 

"Looks like being a science nerd runs in your family, huh?" Lance said as he leaned on the tree. 

"I guess? I don't really know much about our parents. They were always gone traveling, coming home once or twice, then their out again." The girl said shrugging her shoulders as she stopped Varian from damaging an important part of the plant he was taking a sample of.

"I think we rested long enough. Shall we get going?" Rapunzel suggested as she stood up. Soul nodded and went ahead, the group following her.

"You know, I'm really glad we left our furry friends in the caravan. Knowing Flick, he would have eaten everything he sees." Soul said as she saw Varian walk next to her. Nodding, Varian agreed that Ruddiger would have done the same.

"How do you know where the temples are located? I mean, you said you've never been outside of Corona before. How come you know your way around here?" Catalina asked from Lance's shoulders. Putting a hand on her chin, Soul thought about it for a moment not sure how to answer the girl.

"I, don't know. I mean, I know where the temples are located location wise. But i don't the actual spot where the temple is , I'm just really following my intuition here." She answered truthfully. Soul knows where the Zodiacs' temples are because she read about them from one of her parents' journals. But the journals never stated where the temples can be found in the location. However, since they entered the forest, something was tugging on Soul, like there was a string attached to her and something was pulling on it.

"So you mean we're lost?" Kiera asked as she stopped walking, making the others stop and look at the lavender haired girl.

"Not really. Just follow me, besides, I'm the navigator here. You just gotta trust me. " Soul replied as she continued walking.

The group was walking through the jungle, and things keep being creepy and weird. Soul was unfazed though, like she didn't see what was happening around her.

"Soul, there are strange creatures here...." Varian said with a frightened tone. The poor alchemist kept seeing eyes following him everywhere, even the trees had eyes.

"Hmm?" Soul looked back at the group and saw that everyone was shaking, scared as if they're seeing things. "Oh....well, it must mean we're getting close to the temple. What you are seeing are only illusions. I read that every temple has some sort of security measures to keep outsiders away."

"How come you're not affected by it?" The alchemist asked as he let out a sigh of relief that what he was seeing weren't real. The girl just shrugged as she stopped walking. Varian bumped into her,groaning as he didn't see that Soul stopped walking. "Why did you."

"stop....." Varian looked up in awe at the large temple in front of them. At first glance, you wouldn't notice it as the temple was painted brown with lots of vines hanging on top of it. The temple was perfectly camouflaged with its surroundings.

"Guys, we're here!" Soul shouted, gesturing the group to come over. 

"Wow! That's some temple all right." Eugene commented.

"I'm just glad that your intuition was right." Kiera said.

"Let's wait inside. It's still a bit early, we need the constellation to shine on the temple so that the orb appears." The astrologer entered the temple and as she opened the door, the torches on the wall lit up lighting the hallway. 

The group walked through the long hallway taking in their surroundings. There were a lot of lion statues littering the corridor. Soon after, they reached a large room with an empty pedestal, the roof was bare making sunlight shine on the pedestal.

"So that's where the orb will appear?" Rapunzel asked as she went to stand next to the lavender haired girl. Soul looked at the older girl and nodded her head.

"Yep!" Soul answered. " You know, I'm actually, really excited. As an astrologer, being in a Zodiac's temple is a dream come true!" She followed, her eyes beaming with joy in contrast to when they were in the caravan.

Rapunzel giggled at the enthusiastic girl, "You can explore for a while you know. There's still time,we'll be right here."

Soul let out a happy squeal as she grabbed Varian and took off in another hallway, with the alchemist screaming bloody murder. Eugene looked at his lover with an eyebrow raised. Rapunzel only laughed in reply as she hugged Eugene, the male returning it.

\-------------------------------

"Why......did........you......dragged me .......here?" Varian said as he panted, catching his breath.

"Sorry, I just thought that maybe you would like to explore the temple with me." Soul apologized, scratching her cheek smiling sheepishly.

"So, where are we going?" Varian asked he fixed his hair and goggles.

"Oh! I read in a book that every temple has a memory stored in it and I want to find it." Soul answered happily as she put her hands on her hips. Varian saw that her demeanor was much more different than back in the caravan. 

I guess a person's passion can change a person entirely. He thought as he smiled softly at the girl in front of him.

Soul was looking around when she saw a door. Smiling widely, she ushered the alchemist to come as she entered the door. Entering the door, the room was painted a Jungle Green with Leo's symbol on a large tapestry. The room was filled with scrolls and books. Soul's eyes sparkled as she scanned some books. 

Varian, on the other hand, strolled around the room when he saw a crystalized sunflower on the far side of the room.

"Hey Soul, I think you should see this." Soul turned to look at the boy and saw him kneeling in front of a yellow object. She went closer to see that it was a crystalized sunflower.

"Fascinating. I didn't know you can crystalize flowers." She commented as she went to touch the flower.

As her fingertips came in contact with the flower, time seemed to stop and everything was colored blue. Soul looked at her hands and saw that it was transparent, she turned to look at where she was earlier and saw that her body was still in the position of touching the sunflower. Frozen. Soul panicked, even more, when her surroundings changed. She was now in the throne room, where the pedestal is. The orb was visible and it glowed in the moonlight. Seconds later, two people entered the temple, Soul couldn't see who the two figures were or what gender they were. The taller one nodded at the shorter one, then the former went to reach for the orb. Once they took the orb, the two figures immediately left the temple and Soul was back to normal.

Gasping in surprise, she stumbled back. "Soul! Are you alright? What happened?" Varian asked, concerned at the girl's shocked expression.

"I.....saw a memory." She answered panting. It was Varian's turn to look surprised.

"Wha- what did you see?"

"Someone else taking the orb. I don't know who, but it looked like a long time ago."

"Let's go back to the throne room. Maybe it's night time already." Varian suggested as he helped the girl back up. Nodding her head, the two left the room and made their way back to the others.

\-------------------

"About time you two. It's almost time." Eugene scolded. "Where were you two anyway?"

"Exploring." "Sciencing."The two answered differently. Eugene just sighed and shook his head. 

"You know, this temple is pretty safe. No traps or whatsoever. " Varian commented as he stepped a part of the floor that sunk " uh oh..."

"YOU JUST HAD TO JINX IT!" Kiera shouted at the alchemist who was nervous about what kind of trap he set off.

"You know Varian, you really love setting off traps, eh?" Rapunzel commented teasingly as she looked around. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't know!" The alchemist apologized. Soul facepalmed as she let her guard up. Everyone was on guard waiting for what trap Varian set off. A growl was heard behind the alchemist making everyone turn to look at the boy not moving, terrified that they might provoke the predator behind their friend. "Hehe...It's behind me isn't it?"

"Whatever you do, don't panic, don't move." Rapunzel whispered as she watched the lion behind Varian. "Do you have that pink goo with you?"

"Y-yeah? Why do you ask- oh" Varian whispered as he realized what the princess' plan was. Reaching down on his satchel pulling out a pink chem ball, Varian threw the ball at the lion's feet and quickly dashed out of the its way before the predator could take a bite off him.

Soul looked at the pedestal and saw that the constellation was about to reach its peak. Quickly formulating a plan, she nodded to herself, "Everyone get out of the temple!"

"Are you crazy kid?" Eugene said, his eyes wide at what the astrologer commanded.

"I'll be alright, now hurry! Before the lion escapes. I'm pretty sure that goo won't hold him off completely." She replied. Rapunzel looked at Soul for a minute and saw that the girl won't back down. Sighing she reluctantly leads the group out of the temple. However, Varian came back. "I said everyone out. Now!"

"I'll distract the lion if it escapes. Just focus on getting the orb." Varian stated as he threw more chem balls towards the lion. Waiting for the constellation to reach its peak, Soul gulped in anticipation. 

Moments later, the lion successfully escaped as it dashed towards Varian. Varian blew some green powder on the lion's face, the lion sneezed but it didn't fell asleep. The predator growled at Varian, showing its huge sharp teeth. The alchemist's eyes widen, as his life flashed before his eyes. Varian closed his eyes, ready for the impact. But the impact never came. Instead, a bright light kept him from opening his eyes.

"That was pretty close. I thought you were a goner." Soul said. Varian opened his eyes and saw that the lion was gone and Soul was holding a green orb with Leo's symbol. The alchemist sighed in relief as he fell on his knees. 

"I thought I was gonna die. That was nerve-wracking." He chuckled, Soul following. "Thanks for saving me, or for whatever happened."

"No problem, now come on, let's go out. Everyone is probably worried." Soul said smiling as she held out a hand to Varian. Taking her hand, the girl helped him up as they went outside the temple.

As the two exited the doors, Rapunzel immediately tackled them to a hug. "You guys are okay! I was so worried."

"Don't do that again alright? Especially you Varian." Varian smiled sheepishly as he was mentioned. "You could have said something that you were going back. "

"Sorry." He apologized.

"Hey, what's with the green streak Soul?" Catalina pointed out. Soul took a look at her hair and saw that one of the previously white streaks glowed green until it disappeared.

" I don't know. But it's gone now so no worries." She shrugged. "And look, I've got the orb!" The group cheered as Soul showed the orb off. The orb was a bit bigger than an apple in size. 

"Okay, so how we getting back?" Lance said. Everyone fell silent at the realization that they were stuck in a jungle and it was night time where tons of predators other than a lion can pounce on them any minute.

"We take the same route we went on. Come on! Better than becoming animal bait. I'll lead us." Soul announced as she began to walk forward. 

"Are you sure this is a good idea? We can just wait outside the temple." Eugene suggested.

"We don't know if the lion will come back, plus, I believe that the animals will avoid us now that we have the Leo's orb." The girl replied as she placed the orb in her rucksack.

The group followed the astrologer, as they let out their weapons in case something attacks them.

A/N: I'm so sorry. i suck a bit at writing action stuff and I based it all on my imagination.


	10. Chapter 9: The Song

"What do you call a sheep with no head and legs?" Eugene asked, trying to hold back his laughter. 

"Gee, I don't know. What?" Kiera asked not amused with the man's antics.

"A sheep!' He answered as he burst out laughing. Everyone except Lance and Soul deadpanned at the ex-thief. Lance was laughing as hard as Eugene, while Soul was not with them.

It was currently 4 in the afternoon, the group got out of the Jungle around 5 in the morning. The trip back to the caravan was longer than when they entered to search for the temple. After all, traveling through a jungle with very little light source proved almost impossible. The group was lucky not to encounter an angry predator or attracted any, with the noise they've been causing. They, however, got stuck in vines, Lance almost falling off a cliff, to which Soul completely froze up when she saw the said cliff. Catalina and Red got stung by some wasps, luckily Soul knows the antidote and quickly whipped up some. Rapunzel almost lost Pascal as the poor chameleon followed a fly, throwing the group off from their path to look for him. Luckily, they got out safe and in one piece. Once, getting inside the caravan, everyone dropped asleep waking up at lunchtime.

Which leads the group to what they are doing now. The said group is currently sitting around a campfire as they eat their lunch. Ham sandwiches, proudly made by their alchemist friend. While Eugene is telling some jokes that nobody laughs at except for his best friend.

"Har-di-har Flynn." Varian said as he leaned on his hand, taking a bite off his ham sandwich. Ruddiger was next to him munching on an apple.

"Okay okay okay. What do you call a farm who makes bad jokes?" Lance asked. Everyone except Eugene gave him a "please stop already" look. 

"What? What? What?" Eugene replied holding his laughter, puffing his cheeks.

"Corny!" Everyone except the two grown men facepalmed exasperatedly.

"Lance, Eugene, We love you and all but stop it with the bad jokes! It's starting to get really annoying." Catalina commented, annoyed.

"You just don't have a good sense of humor." Eugene replied as he stopped laughing and crossed his arms. The red-haired pre-teen just rolled her eyes. The ex-thief eyed the group and noticed that their navigator is not with them. "Hey, where's stargazer?"

"We asked her if she wants to eat lunch with us, but she refused, saying that she wants to do experiments on the plants she took." Rapunzel answered as she fed Pascal.

"Geez, does that kid do anything else besides studying? At least Varian here knows how to socialize and stuff." Eugene said as he pointed at Varian, the alchemist blushing in embarrassment. "I mean come on, All she does is read and read. I barely see her interact with any of you. If it weren't for Varatos here, she wouldn't talk at all."

"Eugene!" Rapunzel scolded. "Soul is not like Varian. May I remind you, that Soul lived alone for who knows how long since her parents and brother died? And according to Xavier, Soul doesn't have many friends aside from him. Maybe Soul just doesn't know how to interact with people that much." She continued, defending the young astrologer. Rapunzel understands why Soul didn't want to eat with them. After all, years with not eating with anyone else besides your family, proved that there ate two types of people in the world. One who is excited to meet someone else and would gladly eat with other people, and one who is nervous and would rather eat alone than eating with someone they don't know. It just so happened to be that Soul was one of the latter, and Rapunzel completely respects the girl's decision of turning down her invite. Although, Rapunzel would definitely persuade her next time,as she really wanted to get to know the astrologer more.

"You shouldn't judge her like that. Not everyone is an outgoing person like you." Varian added."And for the record, she does interact with us. A little awkward, but at least she tries before going back to studying." The alchemist stood up grabbing his raccoon and went to the direction of the caravan. Rapunzel followed her young friend, taking a plate of a ham sandwich, while Catalina and Kiera both glared at the older man.

"That was kinda harsh, you know?" Lance said to his best friend.

"You really don't know how to filter yourself do you?" Kiera asked ash she continued to eat her sandwich, her sister nodding in agreement.

"I guess I do kind of say what's on my mind despite what it is." The ex-thief shyly admitted as he scratched the back of his neck. Lance, Kiera, Catalina, Max, and Oren just shook their heads disappointedly.

\--------------------------------------

"Hey Soul, Have you eaten yet? We brought you an extra ham sandwich. Varian makes the best ham sandwiches." The brunette boasted as she and the alchemist entered the caravan. Varian blushed at the princess's compliment. "It's true though." She shrugged. They looked around and noticed that the astrologer was nowhere in sight. Walking by the couch where Soul usually sleeps, opposite to the caravan's door, Varian heard a voice so he looked outside the window and spotted the girl sitting by a rock outside with her pets while singing and playing a small guitar.

"Princess, I found her." He said as he tugged on Rapunzel's sleeve pointing out the window. Rapunzel turned to look at where Varian is pointing and saw Soul singing as she played the guitar.

"Easily playing, never bat an eye. 

weeping and posing, another perfect alibi.

everyday lonely I'd rather play a game. 

like a slow running stream of honey I crave."

Varian and Rapunzel turned to each other, both with a sad look in their eyes at the lyrics of Soul's song.

" Looking at you now, yes, and even you.

was I unneeded? was I just in the way too?

call me a phantom never meant to be couldn't be more fun to party and scream.

NowMy, oh my, oh walk your way to me 

Clap your hands, we're traveling to the beat

Why, oh why, oh hurry up and leave 

And again I come to see

, I've been a very bad girl."

Soul strummed her guitar, playing the instrument expertly as she sang the next verse.

"Dreaming in color, burned it in my mind

But then I wake up with black as raven hands alive 

Well, I was chosen to burn inside 

Couldn't be more fun to whistle and sing 

NowCrawling, crawling out tonight and see 

Everyone up scrambling to the beat

Easy easy, envy all you need 

Dancing on without a clue, 

she's been a very blind girl."

"I really want to hug her now." Rapunzel said sadly as she watched the girl singing her heart out. The two were sitting on the couch watching Soul's mini-performance. Varian only nodded in agreement. He could feel the emotions Soul is feeling through her song. To the alchemist, this is as close as he can get the girl to talk about her past. Although, she wasn't talking about her past directly, the song hinted a few details, after all, who would sing about something that didn't happen to them? Plus, her voice was soothing and pleasing to the ears, making the secret audience melt in their seats. 

Varian was about to fall asleep when the door to the caravan slammed open, startling both Rapunzel and the alchemist.

"Everyone's rested up I'm sure? Let's get going. Who knows how long will it take to go to the next destination." Eugene shouted. Varian ended up screaming in surprise as he fell from his seat by the window. "Are you guys okay? You look like you saw a ghost."

"uh...N-nothing." Rapunzel replied, calming herself down, not wanting the others to know what Soul was doing.

"Is everything okay? I heard a scream." A voice asked as a head popped up from the window. Rapunzel almost screamed as Soul peaked inside the caravan from the window they were spying her on.

"Yeah, everything's okay. Just Varian and Rapunzel acting weird." Eugene answered for the two. 

Soul hummed in response as she walked around to enter the caravan by the entrance heading straight to her usual spot. Sir Hoots flying through the window and Flick followong her. The fox jumped on the couch, snuggling into the pillows as Soul fixed her belongings hiding her small guitar in her rucksack.

"So where are we going next Star Gazer? " Eugene questioned as he leaned on the girl's head. Soul swatted the ex-thief's arm with an unamused look.

"We're heading for Crystal cave next. " She answered as she took out the book about the Zodiacs. "According to the book, Virgo's temple was destroyed hundreds of years ago. However, to protect her orb, she hid the orb inside Crystal Cave. So that's our next stop."

"Well, you heard the little lady. Let's get going!" At this, Eugene went out and sat on the coachman's boot. Lance and the girls entered the caravan and sat down as well. 

Varian sat across Soul, next to Rapunzel. Soul opened a new book and wrote something as she saw the two across from her staring at her. 

"Don't say anything to anybody about what you heard and saw, and we're good." She said calmly as she continued writing in her book. Varian and Rapunzel tensed up, muttering small lies as they looked away from the girl. Soul rolled her eyes as she hid her face in the book, smiling softly.


	11. Chapter 10: The Missing Astrologer

BOOM!

A loud explosion was heard outside waking everyone up.

"What was that?" Lance asked frantically as he woke up to the explosion.

"Is everyone alright?" Rapunzel asked worriedly, her eyes scanning over her friends to see if someone was hurt. She then noticed that Soul was missing worrying her even more. "Where's Soul?"

Varian's eyes looked at the couch Soul was sleeping in and saw that the couch was made with her blanket folded neatly, her stuff was gone as well as her pets. 

"Do you think someone took her?" Eugene asked concern laced his tone. He might not have been close or that nice to the girl, but she is still Rapunzel's friend and he knows that Soul means well. 

"No. She couldn't have been kidnapped, I could have heard someone come in. I'm a pretty light sleeper, I would have woken up if the door opened. Plus, she intended to go out." Varian informed the group with a frown on his face.

"What do you mean?" Lance questioned, raising an eyebrow. Varian turned to look at the couch and everyone followed to look at where the alchemist was looking.

"The couch is clean, her blankets folded, Flick and Hoots are gone as well as her bag." Varian pointed out looking down. Rapunzel stood up and ran outside.

"SOUL!" She called out. The others soon followed the princess and looked for the missing astrologer.

"SOUL! Where are you?" 

"Soul! Soul!" 

Everyone searched around shouting and calling out for the girl. Varian eyed the forest near the caravan. They were halfway to their destination and decided to stop traveling for the night. 

" Ruddiger, come with me bud." He commanded as he let the raccoon climb on his shoulders. Ruddiger chittered happily as he nuzzled his chubby face on his owner's cheek making the blue-eyed boy giggle. "Let's go find our friend." The alchemist entered the forest using his luminescent chemicals as a source of light, leaving marks on the trees with his pen so he wouldn't get lost. While walking through the forest, he arrived at a large clearing in the forest with a lake in the middle. 

"Woah." He gasped in awe. The lake was fairly large and occupied most of the clearing. There was also a waterfall cascading down from a small mountain connected to the forest. The water was crystal clear and sparkled in the moonlight. The loud sound of water gushing down the cliff was relaxing to the ears and oddly therapeutic.

"Hoot! Hoot!" The sound of hooting snapped Varian out of his awestruck expression. He turned to look To where the sound came from and saw Sir Hoots-a-lot flying above him.

"Sir Hoots? What are you doing here - Wait! Where's Soul?" He questioned the owl as he looked around the clearing, and sure enough, he spotted a shadow behind a tree on the opposite side of where he stood, and Soul's belongings were hanging from the branch.

"Soul!" The alchemist ran to the other side and as he neared the tree, he called the girl's name once more, earning a squeak from behind the tree. "Soul? Are you alright?" 

"I'm alright." Varian let out a sigh of relief, thankful to whoever was above that the girl was safe and sound. 

The alchemist almost screamed in shock when he felt something rub against his leg, but stopped when he saw that it was only Flick. Varian let out a small smile as Ruddiger climbed down from him to play with the fox. The two got along really well and often played together. Varian's smile disappeared when he saw the girl come out from behind the tree. 

"What are you doing out here? We were really worried when we heard the explosion and saw that you were gone." He questioned." You could have left a note or, woke me up and told me where you'll be going - you could have woken up any one of us! We were scared of what might have happened to you, especially because of the explosion. Where have you been?" The alchemist tried to keep the tone of his voice softly, however, he just couldn't hold it in. Varian was confused about why he was so angry, but he didn't let his confusion show instead, he kept up his angry expression as he watched Soul lowered her head, wincing at the boy's loud voice. 

"You don't have to worry so much. I can handle myself." She said as she rubbed her arms attempting to warm herself up. 

Footsteps softly echoed as Varian walked closer to Soul. Soul looked up at the boy, she couldn't make out what the alchemist is feeling as he stared at down at her with such seriousness. Soul flinched when she saw Varian raise a hand. She lowered her head down again, her body trembling as she waited for the impact. However, instead of hitting her, Varian gently placed his hand on the girl's shoulder. Soul looked up again, this time, Varian was smiling softly.

"We know you can handle yourself. You did live on your own for who knows how long in Melodiah Forest, just, know that we're here for you. Alright?" He said. Soul continued to stare at the boy in front of her, her eyes searching his own blue eyes for any type of sign that he was lying. Concluding that his words were true, Soul let out a small smile as she nodded her head. Varian's smile widens at the girl's response, however, his happiness turned into confusion as he just noticed how the girl's hair was soaking wet.

"What happened anyway, why is your hair all wet?" He asked as he let go of the girl's shoulders stepping back a bit. 

"Oh, um. Yeah, remember the explosion?" Varian nodded, urging her to continue. "Yeah, that was my fault."

"How? That explosion was really loud. What did you do?" The alchemist replied shocked that their missing friend was the cause of the explosion.

"Well, you see, I couldn't sleep so I went outside to study the map. Hoots and Flick decided to come with me so I let them. While, studying the map, I noticed that in this forest, there was a waterfall so I decided to take a peek. But when I got here, there was a huge boulder blocking the water from flowing down. Good thing I brought some explosive chem balls, and so I slingshotted the boulder using the chem balls as ammo and tada! The waterfall is now running again. " She explained making jazz hands towards the waterfall. "Oh! And I got wet in the process. My clothes are dry now, but I went for a small swim so my hair is still wet."

"Small swim? How did you- oh..." Varian blushed in the realization of why Soul was hiding behind the tree when he saw her earlier. He awkwardly scratched his cheek as he mumbled a small sorry. 

"Come on, let's go now. You said the others were worried, and I'm sure that if they notice that you're gone too they would panic even more." The girl suggested as she took her belongings from the tree branch. Composing himself, Varian agreed as they walked back to the caravan together. Their pets tagging along behind them 

\--------------------

"Please, please please please! Don't do that again Soul! We were really worried." Rapunzel said as she hugged the life out of the poor girl.

"Princess - Air!" Soul choked out. Rapunzel instantly let go of her, mumbling a small sorry.

"Yeah Stargazer!" Eugene was about to say something rude, but then he remembered what Varian and his fiancee told him a few days back, so he quickly changed what he was supposed to say. Perhaps it was also time to try and be a little nicer to the girl. "Just don't run off like that again."

"Don't worry, I won't." Soul replied with a small smile. Eugene smiled back. His eyes widen as he let out a small cough, mumbling something along the lines of "Not that I was worried, I mean I was, but not as concerned as them." And the rest was gibberish to the girl. 

"Alright let's go back to sleep, we still need to travel tomorrow." Lance suggested. The four agreed as they went back inside the caravan. Catalina and Kiera went back to sleep earlier as the adults went to look for Soul and Varian who also disappeared while looking for the girl.

Soul placed her rucksack down below the couch as she sprawled herself onto her makeshift bed, wrapping herself in her blanket. Varian did the same, on the floor with Ruddiger snuggling close to him. He felt someone staring at him, and turned to see it was Soul staring at him.

"Goodnight Soul." He said as he pulled the blankets over him and went to sleep.

Staring at the boy for a few more seconds, she replied, "Goodnight Varian." Before drifting off to sleep while cuddling Flick.


	12. Chapter 11: The Crystal Cavern

"Do we really have to cross this bridge?" Lance asked as he stared at the narrow rope bridge in front of him. 

"It's the shortest way to go towards the cave. If we went around it, it would take us even longer to get there." Soul answered as she stood as far as she could from the cliff. Rapunzel took notice of the girl's uncomfortable state. The brunette then remembered something back when they were inside the Jungle of Lion, Soul froze up completely when she saw a cliff and almost fainted when Lance almost fell off the said cliff. Rapunzel put the two pieces together and concluded that the astrologer must be afraid of cliffs. Frowning slightly, she walked towards Soul and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder in a comforting manner.

"It's alright, Soul. No need to be scared." Soul's eyes widen at Rapunzel's statement, a red tint dusted on her cheeks. 

"Oh, um...How did you know?" She asked the older girl shyly. Rapunzel smiled softly towards the lavender haired girl.

"I noticed back when we stopped because of the cliff, you avoided looking at it, and when we were in the jungle, you froze up when you saw the cliff." Soul's cheeks grew a darker red when Rapunzel mentioned what happened, "Plus, now. You're standing so far away from the cliff, instead of checking out the bridge like everyone else." Rapunzel ended. Soul really hoped no one noticed, but alas, the princess was really observant towards everything.

"Yeah. You see, it..it started two years ago during a blizzard." Soul confessed quietly looking down. Rapunzel gasped quietly and stepped back a step. "It's still a pretty sore subject."

"It's alright, you don't have to tell me right now, just know that I'm always ready to listen." Soul smiled at Rapunzel's words, the older girl returning it as she hugged the astrologer. 

"If we go around, how much longer would it take?" Lance asked. Soul let go out of Rapunzel's hug and straightened herself.

"It would take about two weeks at our pace. Normally, I would agree to go around, but the peak is tonight. There's no time left." She answered. Lance sighed disappointedly, groaning loudly.

"I wish some rocks would magically appear again." Eugene stated. Soul coughed violently, as Rapunzel patted the girl's back.

"What happened? Are you alright?"

"Just peachy."

\---------------------------------------------------------------

"What do you mean we'll stay in the caravan?" Kiera shouted as she crossed her arms, her sister nodding beside her.

"Yeah! We want to go too." Catalina protested.

"And I don't want to cross that bridge, but you don't see me complaining. OW!" Soul hissed in pain as Varian nudged the girl harshly. The two glared at each other, silently bickering as Rapunzel shushed them.

"Look, girls. We need someone to look after the caravan since we'll be leaving it out here in the open. Lance would be staying here with you guys, while I, Eugene, Soul, and Varian go get the orb." She explained. The siblings complained and continued to protest, but shut upped as Soul threatened that if the two won't stop complaining, she'll let them come and leave them for the cave creatures to feast on.

"We trust that you can handle everything, Lance?" Rapunzel hesitated as she faced the dark-skinned man. Lance mocked a salute assuring the brunette that he will take care of the girls, the caravan, and their pets. Pascal wanted to come, but Rapunzel didn't want a repeat of last time. She told the chameleon to look after the pets, which Pascal agreed on as he jumped on top of Flick's head.

"Take care, you guys!" Lance waved as Soul, Varian and the couple went towards the bridge.

Soul closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Opening her eyes, she stared at the bridge and saw that the three were already walking across. 

"I can do this." Soul took a step forward carefully, as to not cause the ropes holding the bridge to snap. Varian looked back and saw that Soul was struggling to cross because every time she glimpsed down, she would stop and close her eyes before walking and looking down again.

"Hey, look at me." Varian held out a hand towards the girl. Soul quickly took the boy's hand and let him lead her across the bridge. Once they reached the other side, Soul fell on her knees panting.

"You should have said that you were scared to cross Star Gazer. Are you alright?" Eugene asked worriedly. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." 

"Well, let's get going." 

\--------------------------------------------------

The quartet arrived in front of the cave's entrance. Nodding to each other, they entered the cave, Varian's chemicals lighting up a small portion of the cave. The cave was dark and ominous as bats littered the cave ceiling. 

"Are you sure this is the right cave? This ain't crystal to me." Eugene questioned as he looked around the cavern. Soul took her book and map out and double-checked. She nodded her head as she placed the items back in her rucksack.

"This is the right cave. " Soul answered.

"So how are we gonna find the orb here?" Varian asked as he looked at the two tunnels in front of them. " The smartest thing to do would be splitting up and find the crystal cave but, how would we contact each other?"

"ECHO!" Eugene yelled as his voice echoed throughout the cavern. Rubbles and dust fell from the ceiling at the man's loud voice.

"Don't do that! Who knows what might happen if you continue to yell that loudly." Soul scolded quietly.

"Calm down Star Gazer. Nothing's gonna happen, plus! It's really fun. Echo!!!" More rubble and dust fell from the ceiling as Eugene's voice bounced on the walls of the cavern. Bats flew away, startled at the loud noise. Soul facepalmed at the older man's antics, shaking her head.

Rapunzel looked around the cavern when she spotted a lever on the corner of the cavern. Curiosity took over her as she pulled the lever. The cavern shook as Varian, Soul, and Eugene huddled close together at the tremors. Soon after, an entrance appeared next to Rapunzel.

"Hey, guys! Look!" She called. The three looked at where Rapunzel was and saw the new entrance next to her. 

"So, it's not one of the other two tunnels there?"

"Obviously. Let's go in!" The group entered the new tunnel that leads to a staircase leading down even deeper in the cave. 

The temperature got colder and colder as they went down in the staircase. After a while of walking down, they reached the bottom of the stairs and saw another tunnel heading straight. At the end of the tunnel was a large crystal door with Virgo's symbol. Soul held in a squeal at the sight of the entrance. Varian opened the door and entered with the others following behind him. 

"Wow!" Soul awed. In contrast to the rocky tunnel they were on earlier, the tunnel past the door was crystalized. Which somehow explains why the temperature was cold. 

"Who knew that an entrance to a crystal cave would be a crystal door." Varian exclaimed, smiling widely.

"Do you want the entrance to be a creepy metal door?" Soul joked playfully. Varian rolled his eyes at the girl's response as he touched the crystal wall.

"It's pure crystal." The alchemist mumbled. 

"Don't take samples now Beaver Teeth. You'd be disrespecting Virgo by doing so." Soul reminded. The group continued to walk through the crystal tunnel when they reached a dead end.

"What now?" Rapunzel looked around for any other entrances but saw none. Varian looked around as well when he stepped on something. The tunnel shook as everyone turned to look at the alchemist.

"Varian, this is the second time! Can you please stop setting off traps?" Soul stomped as she held on the wall for support.

"How am I supposed to know!" The alchemist screamed as he struggled to balance himself. Soon, the floor below Soul cracked and crumbled.

"SOUL!" 

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

"Oh. no! We gotta save Soul!" Varian yelled when the floor below him crumbled as well, making him fall through it as well. Rapunzel was about to try and catch the boy when the ceiling broke down in the same area where the floor crumbled. Eugene pulled Rapunzel back on time as the brunette cried out for her two friends who she was sure were crushed by now. 

"I'm sure they're fine sunshine." Eugene said softly as he comforted his fiancee who was sobbing on his shirt. In all honesty, Eugene wasn't sure if the two teenagers were alright, but he had to stay positive for Rapunzel as to not worry the girl more. He just wished that Varian and Soul were really still alive. He just wouldn't know what to tell Quirin if they were to deliver the news of his son's death. 

\-------------------------------------------------

Varian didn't know if he was dreaming or not, or if what he was seeing was truly real. He was inside a blue forcefield created by the girl in front of him. 

"W-what?" He whispered to himself as he watched Soul struggle to move the debris on top of the forcefield. After moving the debris, Soul made the forcefield disappear as she fainted. Varian was fast to catch the girl. He carried Soul bridal style, as he moved her away from the fallen crystals that were once the floor they were standing on earlier. 

When the alchemist deemed that it was far away enough from the debris, he placed Soul on the floor setting her in a sitting position as he took off her rucksack and placing it next to him. He let the girl's head lean on his shoulder as he sat down next to her. While sitting on the crystal floor, he pondered what he saw earlier. Varian was a non-magic believer. He believed in magical items, but, magic that came from a human directly he didn't believe it until Soul used magic to save their lives earlier. He then thought back to what Soul was going to say at the caravan when they stopped because of the cliff, and the rocks that formed a bridge suddenly appeared the next day, and how the astrologer shook off his scientific explanations.

"Was that you who made the rock bridge appear? Was that you were going to tell me before you decided not to?" He whispered as he looked at the passed out girl next to him.


	13. Chapter 12: Virgo's Orb

"Hoo." Sir Hoots-a-lot jolted awake as he felt a tingle in his feathers. It usually happens when his human friend uses her magic. The owl has been with the astrologer's family since he was an egg. The owl's mother used to belong to Soul's father, and when Sir Hoots-a-lot hatched from his egg, it was around the time Soul was born so the owl was given to the girl as a birthday gift. Hoots is an incredibly smart owl. His memory is as sharp as a dolphin. He has seen a lot of things going on in the girl's life. If only he could speak, he would have told the girl the truth about what happened to their parents. And what happened to her.

"What's wrong, Sir Hoots? Did Flick and Ruddiger wake you?" Catalina cooed as she gently petted the owl's feathers. Sir Hoots-a-lot hooted, shaking his head in an attempt to say no. The red-head giggled at the owl's actions as she left Hoots alone and went to where her sister and adoptive father was.

"What's for lunch?" Kiera asked as she sat down by the table, swinging her feet, excited to eat.

Lance did not answer, scratching the nape of his head nervously.

"Lance, what's wrong?" Catalina worriedly asked as she sat down next to Kiera. The grown man gulped as he turned to face the two girls waiting patiently by the table.

"Well." He started. "The good news is, we still have food!" He exclaimed as he held up two loaves of bread.

"What's the bad news?"

"The bad news is, these two are the last bit of food we have left."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"OH, COME ON!!!"

"EEECCKKKKK!!!!"

\-------------------------------------------

Grunting, Soul woke up as she held her head. She doesn't know why every time she uses her magic, it would always take a huge toll on her. She figured it was because she's not a witch or a mage by blood, that's why it's attacking her stamina since Soul doesn't really have any mana.

"Glad to see you're awake now. You've been out for at least 30 minutes now." A voice said beside her, turning to see who spoke, Soul's face heated up as she saw how close she was to the alchemist. "Hey, are you alright?" He asked.

The lavender-haired girl nodded her head, sliding back to put a little space between them. The two teens said nothing until Varian coughed, attempting to break the heavy atmosphere.

"So..um, thanks for saving me." He started, scratching his cheek awkwardly as he heard the girl beside him hum in response. Silence lingered the tunnel they were in until Soul spoke.

"You weren't supposed to know." She whispered, bringing her knees close to her. Varian glanced at the girl when he heard small sniffles next to him. Soul was sobbing quietly as she hid her face between her knees. "You weren't supposed to know, but... I can't bear to live with the guilt of you dying if I didn't use my magic to help you." She confessed, her voice quavering as she spoke.

Soul lifted her head up as she wiped the tears on her face when a handkerchief was held out to her. Soul looked at Varian and saw him holding out his handkerchief for the girl to take.

"Here, use this to wipe your tears." He said as he smiled softly. Varian's heart ached as he saw the girl's crying state. In the two months he'd known the girl, she never really sobbed so openly. He knew Soul cried silent tears alone when everyone is outside, but her cries were much softer and less messy.

"Thanks." Soul mumbled as she took the handkerchief, wiping her tears with it, occasionally blowing her nose on it. When she realized what she had done, Soul threw a bunch of sorries at the boy, while Varian just shook his head, laughing, saying it's okay and that she can keep the handkerchief. This caused Soul to giggle at their interaction, forgetting she was crying for a bit. After a few minutes of laughing, their laughter died down as they panted, catching their breaths.

"Can I ask you something?" Varian asked quietly as he looked at the girl.

"Um, sure." Soul answered, confused at the boy's sudden change of volume.

"Why did you never tell us about your powers? I mean, we dealt with worse things, I'm sure we would have believed you." The astrologer hesitated to answer but obliged as the alchemist did deserve and explanation.

"Well, I was scared. Sure, you guys dealt with much more dangerous situations with magic still, I was afraid that you guys would hate me or worse, abandon me. The reason why I hardly left my house was because of some villagers in Old Corona. I was around seven years old at the time. After I learned a few spells from my friends, I decided to visit the village. I was walking around when I saw someone was about to get crushed by a falling tree when I used my magic to stop the tree from crushing the villager, however, the villagers who witnessed what happened took it the wrong way and started pelting rocks at me. They called me mean stuff and demanded I leave the village. Not wanting to get thrown at, I decided to leave and never come back. " Soul confessed, avoiding Varian's gaze.

The alchemist's jaw dropped about what he heard. He knows the incident the girl was talking about, after all, it was his father who was about to be crushed by the tree. According to Quirin, the tree was a cedar tree and cedar trees fall over easily. Apparently, one of the horses bumped into the tree causing it to fall over and, Quirin was about to be crushed when a mysterious girl stopped the tree from falling over. Quirin wanted to thank the girl when the villagers started attacking her. When he finally got the villagers to stop, he turned to look at the girl but found no one as the girl already left. When the man got home, he told his son about what happened, but Varian didn't believe him as he was going on about magic is not real.

Varian stared at the girl and thought of what might have happened if she didn't appear at that moment. He would have been completely alone right now. No parents to take care of him and raise him. Just him and his alchemy, maybe he wouldn't even pursue alchemy as he would need to provide for himself. Probably, becoming a thief like his hero Flynn Rider. In a way, Soul saved his life two times now.

"You know, I always saw you whenever I would forage for some materials near Old Corona." Soul stated, snapping Varian out of his thoughts. The alchemist raised an eyebrow at the news he heard.

"Wait, really?" The girl nodded.

"Yeah. I would often see you scavenging the woods near the entrance of Old Corona. Every time my brother would be gone for too long and, I really need some materials, I would go out and forage in the woods. Usually, I would buy at the market place in Old Corona, but after what happened, I stayed clear and hid from the village." She explained as she looked at the boy beside her. "You know, I really wanted to talk to you back then."

"Why didn't you? I don't bite." Varian joked, lightening up the mood.

"Same reason as I didn't tell you I can use magic. I figured that since you were a resident of Old Corona, you might have caught wind of me being a " Witch" as the villagers would say, and be afraid of me as well." Soul answered, throwing her head back slightly, careful not to hit her head on the crystal wall. "Sometimes...I feel so alone, like an outcast.. just because I'm different, people tend to stay away and be afraid of me." Soul muttered as she hugged her knees close to her body.

Varian just stared at her, leaning back on the crystal walls of the cave. He stared at the ground as he reminisced the time when the people of old Corona would stay away from him and his experiments. All his life, he thought he was the only one who felt that way. But it turns out, someone also felt the same, and it was someone who was so close to him yet so far.

"But, you're not alone now. You have me." Varian softly said as he turned to look at her.

Soul looked at the boy next to her in surprise, her face turning to different shades of red. Varian, who realized what he said, also burst red.

"U-uhm.. I mean, you have uh...me, Rapunzel, Eugene, and the others... Uh yeah hehe" He backed up as he scratched the back of his neck ,looking away from the girl. Soul turned to look the other way when a small light caught her eye.

"Varian, what's that?" She called as she pointed to where the light was coming from. Varian squinted his eyes and saw something of the distance.

"I don't know, let's check it out." Nodding, the two stood up, dusting themselves before walking to the direction of the light.

As the two got closer, the light source grew larger and larger until they entered a huge chamber with a hollow roof, where the moon can be seen shining above. The bright light was actually moonlight reflecting through the crystals. Varian looked up to see that they were still underground, but below the cliff.

"Huh, so that's why we can see the moon." He mused.

"Varian, look!" Turning to where the lavender-haired girl was pointing, there was the orb, sitting on top of a crystal pedestal with Virgo's symbol. Right next to the pedestal was a crystal flower, similar to what they found in Leo's temple but, instead of a sunflower, it was a buttercup.

"Well, what are we waiting for? After you M'lady." He bowed as he stretched his hand out towards the orb, gesturing for Soul to take it. The astrologer rolled her eyes playfully as she waited for a few minutes for the constellation to shine over the orb.

After waiting, the Virgo constellation shined down the hole as the purple orb absorbed its light, glowing vibrantly. With a determined glare, Soul took the orb as it shined brightly in her hands, until the glowing stopped, finishing with a flash of Virgo's symbol cascading into purple sparkles.

"Woah, did that also happen when you took Leo's orb?" Varian questioned as he marveled at the sight he witnessed.

"Yeah, but the sparkles were green back then." She replied as she placed the orb in her bag, next to Leo's green orb. Her eyes then went to the crystal buttercup.

"Go ahead. You can touch it if you want. " The alchemist ushered. Taking a deep breath, Soul crouched as her fingertips gently grazed onto the flower's petal. Like before, her surroundings faded blue as another memory was shown to her.

The two figures she saw before entered the crystal cave. They still had their hoods up, so Soul couldn't see who the two figures were. The shorter one was the one to take the orb this time as it placed the orb in its bag. Soul took notice of the symbol on the short one's satchel. She recognized the symbol as she touched her own satchel. The two bags had the same symbol near the lock. A star with swirls inside it.

"The same person must have made both bags." The astrologer whispered, continuing to watch the two figures. The short one nodded its head towards the taller one as they exited the chamber. Soul followed them and saw that the taller one, feeling something on the crystal wall next to the entrance of the chamber. Once it found what it was looking for, the figure pushed a hidden button, and a staircase appeared on the opposite side.

Soul's surroundings swirled back to normal as the two figures exited the area and Soul was back next to the crystal buttercup. Blinking, she shook her head as she ran to the entrance of the crystal chamber. Varian followed suit, confused.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he watched the girl look for something on the wall. Soul didn't answer as she continued to look for the button she saw.

"Aha!" She cried when she found the button, pushing it as the wall opposite to where she was opened and revealed a staircase. "Tada!"

"How did you know about that?" Varian asked, surprised as they climbed up the stairs.

"The memory showed me. I was surprised that this existed as well." Soul replied.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

"It's been almost two hours, Eugene! I'm going down there, Soul and Varian might need help." Rapunzel cried worriedly as she stood up from where she was sitting. "I can't let them die, Eugene! They might be seriously injured and are waiting for someone to save them."

"Or maybe they're still alive and has already found the orb and is already finding a way to come back up here." Eugene reassured as he crossed his arms, tapping his finger vigorously on his arm, leaning back on the wall only to fall and land on someone's feet.

"OW!" Looking up, he saw the smiling faces of Soul and Varian.

"Soul! Varian! You're alright, thank goodness!" Rapunzel screamed as she hugged the two tightly, shedding a few tears.

"We're really sorry for worrying you." Soul mumbled as she hugged the brunette back.

"You know, you're starting to become like hair stripe here." Eugene stated as the two teens looked at him weirdly.

"How is she starting to become like me?" Varian questioned as Rapunzel let the two go, wiping her tears away.

"Well, you have a bad habit of placing yourself in a do-or-die situation. You both really need to stop that." The ex-thief explained. "By the way, how did you guys survive that fall? Plus, the falling rocks."

"Eugene!"

"What? I'm curious, sunshine." The two scholars looked at each other as Varian gave the girl a look that told her to tell them. Soul sighed as she looked at the couple.

"I'll tell you later, I promise. But for now, let's go back to the caravan."


	14. Chapter 13: The Alchemist's Fishing Problem

"Woah, what happened to you guys?" Eugene asked as he, Rapunzel, Soul, and Varian arrived at the caravan. Lance, Catalina, and Kiera were all sitting outside the vehicle. Lance was pouting and with a terrified expression as the girls were glaring at the man with such intensity.

"Lance here dropped the last piece of bread!" Kiera yelled, pointing at the man.

"You don't even like bread that much, what's the problem?" Eugene stated, not fully understanding why the child is so angry.

"It was the last piece of food!" Kiera and Catalina yelled at the same time, scowling at Lance, making their adoptive father scream and back up from the two angry children.

"We've been starving for hours. Lance dropping the last piece of food to fill our stomachs did not help." Catalina pouted, holding her stomach as it growled slightly.

"Aww, poor babies." Rapunzel cooed. Kiera glared at the older girl slightly as she was pulled into a hug. "Still, though, why didn't anyone say that we're all out of food?" The brunette questioned as she let go of Kiera. No one answered while Varian and Eugene were whistling, not making eye contact with Rapunzel. The brunette just sighed as she shook her head. "Soul, are there any nearby towns or villages we can stop by?"

Soul nodded her head as she grabbed her map inside her rucksack. "The closest one next to us would be the town of Orain, however, that town is overrun by thieves. Going there would be risky." She answered, looking at Rapunzel, who had a hand on her chin, the other on her hip, thinking what to do.

"How much farther to go to the next town to Orain?" She asked again.

"Not too far, but it would take about a day, starting tomorrow." Soul replied. Rapunzel thought of what to do but, it was already night time. Look's like there's no dinner for them this time.

"I know it's too much to ask, but can you guys hold on until tomorrow?" Groans and protest were head left and right at what the princess asked. "Look! It's only for tonight since it's too late to look for bodies of water. We'll find something to eat for the meantime tomorrow." The group reluctantly agreed with Rapunzel as they went inside the caravan to turn in for the night.

\----------------------------------------------------------

SPLASH!

"You're really bad at this Varian." Eugene laughed at the boy who was sitting in the water, soaking wet. The alchemist just glared at the older man as he stood up.

"Not my fault that I don't know how to hand-fish. How does one do it anyway?" Varian grunted as he took off his shirt, wringing the water out. 

"Now, I'm sure it's not that hard. Learn and watch from the master, hair stripe." Eugene cockily declared as he took off his boots and rolled the bottom of his pants to not get it wet. Varian sat on a rock next to the river they found earlier, watching the ex-thief struggle to catch a fish. 

"Aha!" Eugene shouted as he caught a fish but, he instantly dropped it as the fish wiggled to get out of his grip, smacking the man on the face, making the ex-thief fall into the river. Eugene emerged out of the river. Narrowing his eyes towards his young friend who was laughing his but off at the ex-thief's failure.

"Not so easy now, huh Flynn?" Varian mocked, smirking only to be splashed on the face by his older friend.

"Ha! Take that!" The alchemist wiped his face, glaring at Eugene before playfully smirking. 

"Oh, It's on!" 

\--------------------------------

"You think the boys caught any fish at all?" Soul doubted as she helped Rapunzel gather some berries from some berry bush they found near the river. Rapunzel nodded happily, telling the girl to have some more faith in the two. 

"Are you sure you two can do this?" Soul asked. Eugene and Varian laughed as they held each other for support from their laughing.

"You kidding? We are the masters in hand fishing. We got this Stargazer." Eugene boasted.

"Yeah! Plus, alchemy is way harder than hand fishing. You'll regret ever doubting us when we get back with tons of fishes that can last us for a month." Varian cockily said as he sassily threw his hand slightly. (I don't really know what his hand thingy is called, but you know the gesture he always makes? yah that's what I meant.)

Soul deadpanned at the two, not really believing them. "Whatever you guys say. Just make sure to catch enough for all of us and our furry friends." She said as she shrugged her shoulders, turning away, missing the unsure stare the two guys gave each other.

"Yeah, I don't trust them." Soul bluntly said as she placed some berries onto a small basket. The princess just sighed and shook her head smiling.

"If you're so worried, why don't we see how they're doing?" Rapunzel suggested as she grabbed the lavender-haired girl's wrist, dragging her to the direction of the river.

\--------------------------

"HAHAHAHAHA! Got you, Flynn!" Varian shouted as he threw a fish he accidentally caught at the ex-thief's face while playing in the river.

"OOF! Oh, no, you don't you, sneaky raccoon!" Eugene shouted back as he ran to catch the alchemist.

"Well, I learned from the best at sneaking around." Varian remarked as he climbed up a rock.

"What are you guys doing?!" A voice yelled. The two boys stopped playing in the water and turned to look at who spoke and saw that it was only Rapunzel whose mouth was wide open and was staring at the scene in front of her with an unreadable expression in her eyes. 

"Heeeey, there sunshine. Nice weather we're having." The ex-thief greeted attempting to get a reaction from his fiancee, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed his neck.

"Hi." The alchemist waved shyly. Rapunzel stood there for a few seconds before shaking her head. Her once unreadable expression turned into anger as the two boys shivered in fear.

"What are you two doing? Have you even caught any fish? I can't believe you two." She yelled, scolding the two as Varian and Eugene bowed their heads in shame and embarrassment. "And you." Rapunzel pointed at Varian, causing the alchemist to look at her. "Put on your shirt, mister. Poor Soul is going to die over there." Following where the brunette was pointing, the two boys found Soul frozen with her face beet red. The poor girl was too shocked and surprised to see a half-naked Varian. The boy also blushed as he hurriedly put his shirt on.

"Why were you guys playing around instead of catching fishes?" Rapunzel questioned.

"Uh, catching fish with just your hands proved to be very challenging." Eugene answered as he got out of the river. Raps just shook her head, not believing her boyfriend would get so sidetracked.

"This is why I was so worried." Soul said, finally recovering from her shocked state, however, the blush on her face is still evident. "You guys could have just asked for help, but nooooo, your pride is too high, to even admit that you can't do it."

"Well, it's not like you can do any better." The alchemist provoked, causing the girl to narrow her eyes at him. Scoffing, Soul pushed the basket she was carrying to Varian and took off her dress, causing the two boys to look away and Rapunzel calling out to her.

"Relax, guys." Soul spoke. Varian slowly uncovered her eyes to see Soul in a white tank top and black shorts. Her shorts were not too short but just rested above her knees. "I'm decent enough to look at."

"Do you always wear this underneath your dress?" Rapunzel asked. Soul nodded her head as she took a hair tie in the pocket of her shorts and tied her hair.

"My brother told me to always be prepared to take off some clothing in times of need and that I should never not wear anything beneath my dresses, aside from uh, underwear." She answered. Soul turned to look at the guys, smirking slightly. "Now, watch and learn."

The three watched Soul as she stood in the middle of the river, her eyes scanning the fishes swimming a few feet away from where she was standing. She then took a step, slowly walking close to the fishes, not making too much noise as to not startle the fishes. Soul bowed as she swiftly grabbed a fish by its tail with one hand, her other hand gripping the fish's belly. 

"Hey, Eugene! Grab me that basket would ya?" Soul called to the older man. Eugene did as he was told, and placed the basket near Soul. The astrologer then placed the fish inside the basket and turned back to catch more fish. Soul caught almost 15 fishes in a matter of ten minutes, making both Eugene and Varian's jaw drop.

"And that's, how you hand-fish." The girl proudly stated as she flipped her hair back. Varian pouted at her, whereas Eugene applauded. 

"Alright, now that we have our fishes, let's go back so we can cook them. We haven't eaten anything since last night, Kiera and Catalina are probably throwing tantrums already." Rapunzel announced.

"Poor Lance. Kiera can be really scary when she's angry." Varian shivered as he remembered when he accidentally made the small girl mad. He made a mental note not to get on the little girl's bad side.

"That's why we called her angry in the first place." Eugene commented.

"No wonder, I would get angry if someone suddenly called me 'angry' as a place holder name." Soul remarked.

"Come on, let's get going. Varian, you carry the berry basket."

"Why?"

"Would you rather carry Soul's wet clothes?"

"Give me the basket."


	15. Chapter 14: Explanation and Demonstration

"We're baaaack~!" Rapunzel shouted as she, Eugene, Soul, and Varian walked back to where the caravan was parked, seeing Lance and the girls sitting around a campfire.

"Finally! We're starving." Kiera cheered. Catalina nodding beside her.

"What took you guys so long?" Lance questioned as he took the fish basket from Eugene, who was avoiding his best friend's questioning look.

"Let's just say, someone went for a swim." Soul answered for everyone as she folded her dress, taking a bowl from inside the caravan and squishing the berries they gathered, making berry juice.

"Why are you only wearing a tank top and shorts?" Catalina asked the astrologer as Soul poured the juice into a bunch of glasses. Varian, who was busy taking out plates and utensils for everyone, tensed up a bit as he heard the two's conversation.

"I had to show someone how things are done. " Soul answered, smiling smugly, as she turned to look at the slightly embarrassed alchemist behind her.

\--------------------------------

"Not that I don't mind, but this is new." Eugene stated as he stared at the lavender-haired between Catalina and Kiera, conversing with the two girls.

"Hmm?" Soul hummed as she looked at the ex-thief stopping her conversation with the two girls about the best berry combinations as a juice. "What's uh, wrong?" She shyly asked as she felt Eugene staring at her.

"Oh, uh. Nothing's wrong. It's just, you usually eat alone inside. " Eugene replied, but quickly backed it up, saying that the girl can join them anytime as he saw the girl's expression turned sad.

"We're so happy you can join us this time, Soul. We've always invited you, but you usually decline." Rapunzel softly said. Soul smiled at the princess as she muttered a small thank you.

"I'm sorry for declining. It's just that, I guess I felt a bit out of place most of the time, plus, I'm used to eating alone." Soul apologized as she played with the glass in her hands. "Also, it's not like anyone would want to hear me talk about the stars and other science stuff."

"You don't have to worry about that! Varian here talks about his experiments all the time, and we still listen to him." Lance exclaimed, hugging the poor boy next to him, almost making Varian spill his juice on the ground. The alchemist narrowed his eyes at the older man as Lance threw his hands up in a surrender pose.

"Oh! Before I forget, how did you and Varian survive the fall?" Eugene asked as he took a bite of his fish. His question made the lavender-haired girl tense up. Varian sensed the girl growing uncomfortable at the others stares, including Lance and the girls' surprised looks.

"Wait, they fell?" Lance asked, his eyes wide. "What happened when you guys were in that cave?"

"Well, when we entered the cave, Raps found a lever on the wall and an entrance opened up with a staircase leading down, and once we reached the bottom of the stairs, there was a crystal door with Virgen-"

"Virgo."

"Yeah, whatever. Then we arrived at a dead end when hair stripe stepped on something- "

"Again?"

"For the last time, I didn't know!"

"Hush, stop interrupting me, Angry, Varian, I'm telling a story. Now where was I, ah! We arrived at a dead end when Varian stepped on something causing the ground below him and Soul crumble as they fell down the hole. Then, about almost two hours later, another entrance opens behind me and, Soul and Varian come out without a scratch. Like they never fell." Eugene explained, telling everyone about the events inside the cave. "It's like you guys magically fell safely. Or, or, some magical thing protected you two." He laughed as he hypothesized what had happened until he spotted Soul and Varian, giving each other worried looks, exchanging a silent conversation.

"Um, you see." Soul started, rubbing the nape of her neck. "It was my magic that saved us." Everyone, aside from Varian, looked at the girl with unreadable expressions, causing the astrologer to sink back in her seat.

"What kind of magic?" Catalina asked, breaking the small silence.

"Uh, I can use magic spells. Only simple spells though, since I don't have any mana and using simple spells already take a toll on me." Soul answered quietly. When no one said anything, she continued. "I was, uh, the one who made the rock bridge appear." She confessed, still no one said a thing.

"L-look guys, Soul means well. If it weren't for her, we would probably dead right now. PLus, she hid it for a reason. She's not a bad person, guys, please trust her. " Varian defended as he saw the girl tearing up from the silent looks the others were giving her.

"O-oh! Sorry, we weren't staring at her because we thought Soul's a bad person." Rapunzel said, waving her hands. "It's just that, is this the reason why you never left the forest?" She asked with a concerned tone, turning to Soul.

"Part of it. But mostly, it's also because my brother never left me out of his sight and told me not to leave the house when he's gone, which he mostly is." The astrologer replied quietly. All of a sudden, Soul felt arms wrapping around her.

"You must have felt so so lonely and different." Rapunzel whispered as she hugged the girl. "It's alright now. We don't care if you can use magic or not. We still see you the same."

"I might be harsh to you sometimes, but I'm not that evil to make you feel worse, and besides, don't think too much of my teasing. It's just me showing affection." Eugene stated as he smiled softly at the girl in his girlfriend's arms.

"That's so cool! Can you shapeshift?" Catalina asked excitedly.

"Or, or, can you control fire?" Kiera added. Soon, everyone swarmed the astrologer asking her many questions about her ability until they heard Soul sniffle in Rapunzel's hold.

"Soul? What's wrong, are you alright? Are we overwhelming you?" The brunette asked worriedly, seeing the girl she was hugging, crying.

"You guys don't think I'm weird? You don't think I'm a monster?" Soul sniffled, her voice cracking in each word she said. Rapunzel just smiled at the girl, wiping some tears that escaped the girl's eyes.

"Look in my eyes, Soul. Look at everyone's eyes." Soul did what the brunette said. Powder blue eyes scanned the array of eyes staring at her. All of the eyes she saw held one thing in common as they stared at her. Kindness, softness, honesty, and, most of all, acceptance. Something Soul yearned for, to be accepted, for what she can do. "You're our friend, Soul. And friends accept whatever kind of person their friend is."

Soul, at this point, was full-on crying in Rapunzel's arms. Kiera and Catalina also hugged the crying girl, and soon, pretty much everyone joined in the group hug. Soul was crying out thank yous making the others chuckle as her voice sounded like a dying whale, according to Varian who attempted to cheer the lavender-haired girl up, earning a harsh smack from the girl.

After the hugging fest was over, Soul dried her tears with Varian's handkerchief, which was clean now by the way as she washed it before when they were in the river, before they continued eating their lunch.

" Where to next Soul?" Eugene asked as they got ready to leave. The astrologer took out her map before turning back to the coachman.

"Next stop, The city of Aradia!" She answered.

"Great! We can also stock up supplies there. You think the fish you caught can last us days?"

"I sure hope so. As long as we stick to one fish per three persons, then we'll survive."  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Can you show us a few spells?" Catalina requested. It was now night time, and the group stopped travelling for the night.

"Huh? Oh, um sure. I can only do a few, though. Doing more can be tiring." The astronomer replied as she put on her dress. She grabbed a green book in her bag and opened it on a specific page. Soul then walked a bit farther from the caravan, ushering the others to come with her. Standing in the middle, she held her hand out and muttered a few words when yellow light appeared in her hand as a small butterfly materialized out of the yellow light. Everyone awed as the butterfly fluttered around them before disappearing into the night sky.

"Woaahhh! Can you do more than that?" Kiera requested excitedly. Soul nodded, saying that the spell doesn't take out much energy, unlike the other spells.

Soul read the contents of the page she was on, memorizing something before closing the book and handing it to Varian. This time, she held both of her hands out, closing her eyes.

" Papilionibus, specie et volitantem!" A large, bright light appeared in her eyes as hundreds of butterflies materialized out of the light fluttering around, emitting a soft light lighting up the night. Kiera and Catalina played around, chasing some butterflies. Rapunzel awing at a butterfly than landed on Pascal, with Eugene admiring the brunette's beauty. Varian watched the butterflies fly around as his eyes met the form of the girl responsible for this phenomena. He didn't know it, but he was awestruck at the sight of Soul's charming smile as she adored the spectacle she caused. The alchemist's eyes softened at how free the girl felt. It was probably hard for her to hide and admit something that personal, thus, keeping herself away from everyone. But here she is now, smiling and expressing herself freely.

"What'cha staring at, Varian?" a voice asked beside him, snapping the alchemist out of his thoughts.

"W-what? I'm not staring, who's staring? Nope! Not me." He stammered, looking away from the girl as Lance laughed at his young friend's flustered state.

"Already replacing Cass?" The dark man teased, nudging the boy.

"Pfft! That was a childish crush, plus I moved on from that now." Varian replied, crossing his arms.

"Oh? So Soul is not a childish crush?" Lance continued teasing and poking the boy playfully. Varian's eyes widen at Lance's words, his face heating up.

"What? NO! Where did you even get that from? Look, I don't have a crush on anyone." Varian replied, playfully punching his friend's shoulder as he tried to stop his face from turning red, as well as trying to calm his erratic heartbeat.

"So, do you believe in magic now?"

"AAAAAAAAH!" Varian screamed as Soul popped up behind him. Lance laughed as Soul giggled at the alchemist's reaction. Varian narrowed his eyes at the two, his face still red. From embarrassment or from something else, he doesn't know.

"What's up with that reaction?" Soul smirked. Varian scoffed as he calmed himself, straightening himself.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." He answered, looking away. Lance evilly smiled, as he looked at the boy.

"Oops! Look's like someone's calling for me. I'll leave you two alone. Bye!" He excused as he ran off to where Raps and Eugene were.

"NO ONE'S EVEN CALLING FOR YOU. LIAR!" Varian shouted. Soul giggled at him as Varian's face turned to an even brighter shade of red.

"So, as I was saying, do you believe in magic now?" Soul questioned the boy beside her. Varian coughed as he finally calmed himself.

"For your information, I already believed in magic ever since you used that forcefield back in the cave." He informed sassily, making the girl beside him chuckle.

"You know, that was really unintentional." She confessed. "I know I said it was because I didn't want you to die if I didn't save you. But really, I never did spells without verbally saying their incantations. Even I don't know what happened back there."

"That's why you fainted." Varian stated, his eyes widening in realization. Soul nodded as she sighed deeply.

"My witch friends told me that since I'm human and I don't have any magical blood in me, I can only do spells when I say their incantation. That's why I was really confused when I used a forcefield to shield us. Forcefields are not even a part of the spells I learned! Do forcefields even need spells?" Soul wondered, placing a hand on her chin, thinking deeply.

"Maybe you're really a witch." Varian teased, earning a pout from the girl.

"Rude. I am most certainly not a witch."

"But you can use spells, and you learned them from witches."

"Yeah, but I'm not a witch!"

"Why learn witch spells, if you don't want to be a witch?"

"I don't know. It seemed cool. Plus, it's better than learning how to fight."

"Well, true."

The two continued to talk as they followed their friends walking, back to the caravan, turning in for the night.


	16. Chapter 15: The City of Aradia

It's been about two days since Soul confessed to everyone that she could use magic, and she's been closer to everyone since then, which Soul was really happy about. As for the alchemist, he has been acting weird around the astrologer, and he doesn't know why he was acting the way he does. Ever since Lance teased Varian of having a crush on the lavender-haired girl, whenever he's anywhere near Soul, he gets flustered, fidgety, and nervous. Which he never felt before when they were near or talking to each other. 

"I'm just thinking about what he said too much. I'm just confused." Varian would say to himself. But whenever he would see Soul smile and laugh with everyone else, which the girl never did before, his face heats up, his heart beats like it wants to get out of his chest and jump straight at the girl. 

"Chitter chitter." The sound of chittering snapped the alchemist out of his thoughts. Varian looked down on his lap and saw Ruddiger staring up at him. Smiling, he petted the raccoon's head, Ruddiger leaning forward to his touch. 

"Hey, there buddy. How have you been?" He asked the raccoon, to which he received a bunch of chittering as a response. Laughing, he took a brush from a drawer near him and brushed the raccoon's furry tail. "We should really get you a bath, Ruddiger. Your fur is so dirty, just what have you been doing with Flick?"

"Excuse me, but Flick has nothing to do with Ruddiger's filthy fur." Soul said as she passed by Varian while carrying the fox in her arms. The alchemist's face instantly turned red, but he dismisses it, looking at the girl.

"Well, how do you explain the mud on Ruddiger's fur?" He inquired as he leaned back on his chair, Ruddiger still in his lap. 

"The only explanation for that is that you don't groom your pet well enough." She replied as she placed Flick on the table. Soul grabbed a small ball in her bag and popped the ball on the fox's head. Bubbles appeared where Soul popped the ball, and minutes later, the bubbles engulfed the fox as the girl wiped the bubbles off with a wet rag. "There, squeaky clean." She beamed.

"You go on about how astrology is better than alchemy, yet you use alchemy to speed things up as well. Just admit that alchemy is better than astrology, Soul." Varian teased. Soul just scoffed, throwing a bath bomb at the alchemist. Varian yelped as Soul laughed at bubble filled boy. He glared at the laughing girl. Varian was about to open his mouth and yell at the girl, when a wet rag was thrown at him, hitting him in the face.

"Wash yourself up, Beaver teeth. And for your information, astrology will always be better than alchemy." Flipping her hair back, Soul climbed the ladder leading to the caravan's roof to join Catalina and Kiera.

"Soul!" Catalina exclaimed as she hugged the older girl. 

"Hello."

"Hey, Soul, what else can you do?" Kiera asked as she lied down on her stomach. Soul grabbed two chem balls in her hand and showed it to the two girls in front of her. "Chem balls? Nooo, I meant with magic."

"Just watch." Soul winked at the girl. She then threw the chem balls in the air as she shouted, "Praemium!" The two chem balls exploded and created a rainbow above them. 

"Alchemy and Magic mix strangely well." Eugene commented from the coachman's boot as he saw the rainbow.

"Flynn, No!" Varian shouted from inside.

"Next stop Aradia! Are you excited to be back there, Eugene?" Lance asked with a huge smile as he nudged his best friend. 

"Oh ho ho, you bet I am!" Eugene replied with the same enthusiasm as the man beside him.

"You guys have been there before?" Varian asked from the window behind the two men. Eugene nodded as he told the story of when Lance and him stayed in the city for a couple of days.

"You'll love it there, little man. Sure, the city is not that advanced like Corona, but believe us, you'll have a great time there." Lance assured as he looked at the boy through the window.

"Plus, the food there is great! I'm really excited to go back." Eugene shouted as he recalled the memories he had in the city.

"Well, you guys would love this news of mine. We'll be staying there for a month." Soul announced from the roof.

"A month?" Varian yelled, hoping that the girl heard him.

"Yep! Libra's peak is on July 15. It's only June 13. We still have plenty of time to explore and take in the sights of the city." Soul answered. 

"Well then, let's not waste any time. The faster we get to Aradia, the more time we can spend there!" Eugene laughed.

"Were you seriously not listening to me? I told you we have a month before we leave, and you're rushing things?" Soul asked, gritting her teeth, her brow twitching in agitation.

"A month is really not enough to take in Aradia's beauty, Star Gazer."

"Are you saying this because you only explored the city for a few days, and in the shadows as well?" 

"No comment!"

"Aradia, here we come!"

"Maximus, Oren, speed up a little, buddies, heeyah!"

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Woaaahhhh!!!!" Everyone, aside from Lance and Eugene, awed at their surroundings. 

"Welcome to The city of Aradia, my good friends." Eugene introduced. The structures of the buildings were different than those in Corona. In Corona, the building's colors are much brighter in contrast to Aradia, in which the buildings consisted of mostly red and yellow sandstone. The streets were a bit narrower than the streets in Corona and were really crowded. Plus, their clothing is really unique and beautiful. 

"Eugene, Lance, is that you?" A voice called from the crowd. Eugene stopped the caravan and turned to see who called them. 

"Samuel?" He asked. Samuel ran to the side of the caravan, next to the coachman's boot. Samuel seems to be around Lance and Eugene's age group, and he had blond hair and black eyes. 

"It really is you guys! It's been so long!" Samuel hugged Eugene and Lance as they got off the caravan. The others watched the three interact from the inside, as Rapunzel went outside to meet the new friend. 

"Samuel, this is my sunshine, Rapunzel. Raps, meet Samuel. He was the one who helped us when Lance and I stayed here back then." The ex-thief said, introducing the two.

"The princess? How did you get to be with a princess?" Samuel chuckled in amazement. He took Rapunzel's hand and placed a chaste kiss on it, bowing in respect. "It is an honor to meet you, your highness."

"Oh, please! Just call me Rapunzel." Rapunzel said, smiling at the man. The blond man stood up, straightly as he looked at the caravan behind his friends.

"The reason I called you guys, apart from when I recognize you two, is because vehicles that big are not allowed unless you park it outside the city." He informed.

"Oh, uh. Will the caravan be safe?" Lance asked. Samuel nodded as he gestured for the group to follow him.

\-----------------------------------------

"Don't worry, my grandfather owns the parking space. I told him to take extra care of your caravan." Samuel stated as he watched the group pack their belongings. "Whose kids are these?" He asked Lance.

"None are ours. I adopted Catalina and Kiera, the red-head and the black-haired kid over there. Varian, the one with the goggles, is the Royal engineer, and the lavender-haired girl is Soul." Lance introduced, pointing to each one. Samuel stared at Soul, thinking the name sounded familiar, but he can't seem to place a finger on it. He shrugged it off as he turned to look at Eugene.

"Are you guys done?" 

"Yep! Do you know an inn we can stay in?" Eugene inquired. The blond man laughed, shaking his head. "Where do we stay then?" Eugene asked, raising a brow.

"Where else? My house can hold all of us. Plus, I live alone now." Samuel offered. 

"Are you sure? We don't want to impose." Rapunzel hesitated, her brows creasing to a frown. The man nodded his head told the group to follow him, apologizing as it will be a long walk, much to the children's dismay.

\--------------------------------------------------------

"I missed this place! I forget how huge your house is, Sam." Eugene exclaimed as they entered the blond man's house. The house was a three-story house made of red sandstone and painted red and orange like the other buildings. The interior design was a bit sophisticated looking, with what looked expensive furniture decorated the rooms.

"My parents moved to some kingdom, wanting a change of pace. Make yourselves at home." Samuel welcomed as he led the group to the living room. "Now, I have four rooms available. Flynn and Rapunzel, you two okay sharing a room?" He questioned.

"No problem." Rapunzel answered.

"Lance, you and uh Vara- Vari-?" Samuel stared at Varian with an uncertain look.

"Varian." The alchemist corrected.

"AH! Varian. You two okay with each other?"

"Sure."

"I'm okay with it."

"Great! Now, You two children share a room, and Soul, you get a room to yourself. Everyone okay with this?" The group nodded as Samuel leads them upstairs to their rooms while giving a mini-tour of the house.

"You guys can rest for a while. Dinner will be served shortly." Samuel left the group as he entered his room. The group looked at each other, waving a short see you later, before entering the bedrooms assigned to them, marveling at the beautifully decorated rooms.

Soul jumped on the bed, Flick doing the same, landing next to her as Sir Hoots-a-lot flew circles. 

"This is our first time sleeping in a room aside from ours, you guys! Forget the room, this will be our first time staying in a house away from Corona that's not ours! Are you two excited?" Soul asked her two pets excitedly. Flick barked happily as Hoots, hooted, flapping his wings.

"I wish Gold was with us. I bet he would have enjoyed going to this journey with us." Flick licked the small tears forming in Soul's eyes, whimpering. "You're right, Flick! If he were to see me right now, he would be disappointed that I'm still grieving his death. Plus, we have Rapunzel now. Catalina, Kiera, Lance, Eugene, even if he teases me a lot." She listed as she smiled softly. "Oh, and Varian as well, even if we don't agree with each other most of the time. But, he's still the first one who accepted me for who I am." Soul smiled at the thought of the boy, her cheeks turning red. Feeling the heat in her cheeks, Soul shook her head as she lied down on the bed, slowly drifting off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 16: Getting in to the Aradian Spirit

"You do it."

"Me? Why don't you do it?"

"Well, I don't want to be the one who faces her wrath."

"I don't want to, as well!"

"Shhh! If you two be any louder, we'll all face her wrath." Lance whisper-yelled, scolding the two.

"Why couldn't have Rapunzel or the girls be the one to wake her up?" Varian quietly groaned.

"They said we couldn't be trusted in the kitchen..." Eugene and Lance replied at the same time.

"Speak for yourselves. I am perfectly fine when it comes to cooking."

"Yeah, but instead, you're here, helping us wake the sleeping beauty."

"Hoot! Hoot!"

"Sir Hoots! Can you wake Soul for us?"

"Well, it's too late for that." A female voice spoke under the covers, startling the three guys who were silently bickering. Lance, Eugene, and Varian tensed up as Soul slowly sat up, her hair covering her face. "Please, the next time you try to wake me up, just ask Hoots, and he'll do it. I don't mind being woken up when I'm sleeping, but your complaining and bickering ticks me off." She informed, her voice hoarse from waking up.

"Well, rise and shine Star gazer. You can sleep more later. We haven't eaten dinner yet." Eugene softly said as he fixed the girl's messy hair, tucking a strand behind her ear. Soul froze at the older man's gesture, remembering how her brother would do the same to her. Eugene smiled at the girl, gently ruffling her hair, not wanting it to get messy again, as he stood up and ushered Lance and Varian to go out of the room. "Come on now, let's go down." Soul only nodded her head, still staring at Eugene as exited the room.

"Gold used to do that...." The astrologer whispered as she held a strand of her hair. Flick yipped beside her as if telling the girl that he was hungry. Soul sighed as she stood up and straightened her skirt, checking her reflection in the mirror in her room. Swaying and twirling a bit, she sighed again. "I should probably buy new clothes. Not that I don't like this dress anymore. It's just getting a bit tighter. Don't you think, Flick? Hoots?" She asked, turning to look at her pets, who nodded in agreement. "We'll look into it tomorrow. But first, food!"

\---------------------------------------

"I am so sorry for making you girls cook. I forgot my parents brought the servants with them." Samuel bashfully apologized as he helped set the table.

"It's alright. Think of it as payment for letting us stay here for a month. Plus, you get to taste Coronian food. Win-win!" Rapunzel replied as she tasted the soup one more time, deeming it delicious and perfect.

"Still, though."

"Just shut up and take it, Sam. Cooking for everyone is really fun, and we enjoyed it, right, Catalina?" Kiera interrupted while placing utensils on both sides of the plates. Catalina nodded as she placed the glasses on the upper right of the plate.

"Smells good, Sunshine. Is that Buttermilchsuppe I smell?" Eugene asked as he entered the dining room with Lance and Varian behind him.

"Yep! Sit down now, everyone. Did you wake Soul up?" The brunette instructed as she poured the soup in everyone's bowls.

"I'm here." Soul yawned as she sat down next to Varian after placing Flick's bowl behind her chair and poured some feed she made while giving Sir Hoots some crackers as the owl grabbed the crackers using his beak.

"Well then, let's thank the Gods for this wonderful food." Samuel led the prayer, and soon after, he finished, allowing everyone to dig in. "Sorry, I had to stop you guys from eating. It's an Aradian tradition to thank the Gods and Goddesses for the blessings they've given to us." He informed.

"It's fine. It's nice to partake in the tradition. Aradia isn't a kingdom, but it acts like one." Rapunzel beamed, making the blond man chuckle.

"Yes, In fact, Aradia is one of the largest cities in Germany and the closest to becoming a kingdom. However, the sultan disagreed in making Aradia a kingdom, saying that he wants the city to stay as a city because managing a kingdom is harder than managing a city." Samuel explained, shrugging, before spooning a good amount of soup and eating it. His face lit up as he savored the creamy buttermilk soup. "This is delicious!" He complimented, eating more of the soup, occasionally taking a bite of bread.

"Thanks! I used to cook this for lunch and dinner when I was locked up in a tower." Rapunzel said. Samuel stopped chewing his bread when he heard the princess mention she was locked up in a tower.

"What?" He asked, confused since he doesn't know Rapunzel's story.

"Long story." Rapunzel laughed nervously.

"Is there anything new here in Aradia?" Lance questioned as he placed his glass back on the table after he drank some water.

"Yep! There's a lot of things that changed since you and Eugene have been here. " Samuel replied before a bulb lit up above his head. "Heeeey, why don't I take you guys on a tour tomorrow? I can show you all the things that changed and the ones that stayed."

"That would be great!" Eugene exclaimed, raising a glass, clinking it with Lance and Samuel's glasses.

"Then it's settled! We leave tomorrow morning."

\-------------------------------------------------------

"Where to first, Samuel?" Eugene shouted in an excited tone as they walked on the streets, Samuel leading them.

"First, you guys need a change of clothes." The blond responded.

"What's wrong with our clothes?" Catalina asked as she inspected her clothes, Kiera doing the same.

"Nothing's wrong with it. I just thought that maybe you guys would like to be in full Aradian spirit. So, what do you say?" Soul glanced at the outfits the female locals wore and were about to oppose when everyone else agreed. Surprisingly, Varian also agreed.

"I know a place that sells great quality, Aradian clothes. Come!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I feel really uncomfortable..." Soul mumbled. "I hate this."

"Oh come on Soul, we should be one with the city." Rapunzel said, twirling around in her Aradian attire, which was a pink color. The brunette wore a pink bedlah tube with a red stripe and gold straps tied around her neck with matching harem pants.

"But.. This outfit shows too much skin..plus, the guys...." Soul stammered, feeling self-conscious. Rapunzel went to the lavender-haired girl and guided her to a mirror, placing both of her hands on the shy teenager's shoulders.

"Who do you see?" Rapunzel asked. Soul looked at the mirror, confused about what the princess was on.

"Me and you?" She answered. Rapunzel laughed a little at the girl's answer and shook her head.

"I see a beautiful teenager, beaming with confidence and not afraid to show the world who she truly is. And that is you Soul." Rapunzel stated. Her hold on Soul's shoulders tightened. Soul looked up at Rapunzel and hugged the older girl.

"Thank you, Raps. You always know what to say." Rapunzel looked surprised for a moment since Soul wasn't one to start hugs, nonetheless, the brunette smiled and returned the hug.

"Hey, what's taking you guys so long? Everyone else finished changing." Kiera asked as she entered the girl's dressing room. Kiera wore a red bedlah tube made conservatively, as it was a children's version, and a red and gold skirt. "I want to see the lion's head statue that Samuel was talking about, so hurry -" Kiera's jaw dropped as she saw the astrologer attempting to hide behind the princess. "Catalina! Come in here, you gotta see this!" The black-haired called.

"What? Woah!" Catalina smiled widely as she saw what her sister was pointing at. "Soul, you look amazing!" The red-head complimented, making Soul blush furiously. Catalina donned a dark blue bedlah tube similar to Kiera's, but with light yellow fluffy transparent sleeves, and gold lining on the neckline with a gold pendant. She also wore matching dark blue harem pants with a gold belt.

"See, Soul? You look beautiful, so come on, let's go out now!" Rapunzel grabbed the blushing girl's wrist and dragged her out of the dressing room.

"Do girls really take this long to change?" Samuel questioned as he slumped on his seat. Eugene patted his friend's back solemnly.

"Welcome to my life." The boys wore the traditional Aradian male outfit. Eugene wore a brown pathani with a forest green vest and gray pants. Lance sported a short green kurta and a beige vest with red pants, Varian, on the other hand, wore a dark cyan pathani with gold linings and buttons, with silver-colored pants.

"By the way, you guys look great!" Samuel winked, pointing finger guns at the men, complimenting them.

"Dun dun dun! We present to you Princess Rapunzel, and Soul the Astrologer!" Catalina announced as Kiera pretended to drum roll. The guys turned to look at the girl's dressing room as Rapunzel and Soul exited the room.

"Tada!" Rapunzel cheered. Eugene couldn't take his eyes off his fiancee, silently checking her out. "What do you think, G-bug?"

"Please, don't call me that." He pleaded, grimacing at the nickname. "But wow! You look amazingly beautiful." Eugene complimented as he kissed Rapunzel on the lips.

"You look great, Raps!" Lance commented, Samuel, agreeing.

"Aww, you guys are too sweet." The brunette replied, blushing. Eugene took one of her hands and placed a kiss on top of it, not taking his eyes off his girl.

"What? It's true, though." He flirted. Standing straightly, Eugene turned to look at the shy teen behind Raps. "And Soul. Wow! I barely recognized you. You look stunning, Star gazer." He complimented. The lavender-haired girl wore a purple bedlah with an off-shoulder strap, and transparent lilac sleeves, with a gold sweetheart neckline and hem. She also wore a transparent lilac skirt above her purple harem pants with a gold-colored waistline. The girl also had a gold headband with a transparent dark purple veil.

"I'm a bit uncomfortable, but I'll manage." Soul muttered, shyly rubbing her arms. Lance turned to look at Varian with a teasing smile as he saw the alchemist furiously blushing.

"See something you like, little man?" He teased.

"NO! Ugh, stop it, Lance." Varian groaned as the older man laughed at the alchemist's flustered state. Varian tried to avert his gaze towards the astrologer's form but found it very difficult.

"Alright, now that you guys are officially in the Aradian spirit, let's explore the city!" Samuel announced as everyone cheered until Varian's stomach growled loudly.

"Um...that wasn't me." He lied, shyly looking down, hiding his stomach. The group laughed at the boy as Varian's face heated up in embarrassment.

"But first, let's get some lunch." Samuel stated.

"Oh! Is that eatery we went to back then still open?" Lance asked, his eyes sparkling.

"You mean Rita's Chili and Sweetly?" Lance nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! Want to go there?"

"Heck yeah!"

"Well then, Rita's Chili and Sweetly is next on our itinerary!"


	18. Chapter 17: The Museum

"I told you guys the food here tastes great!" Eugene exclaimed as he burped, patting his stomach, full from the amount of food he ate. Everyone nodded their heads as Kiera shouted that it was the best food she ever tasted, third to Catalina and Rapunzel's cooking, while Lance gave the child a look of offense.

"I'm glad you people enjoyed my grandmother's cooking." A young woman thanked as she cleaned up the group's table.

"No problem, Sicily. Make sure to tell Rita that we missed her cooking." Lance said as Sicily nodded her head, grinning at the man.

"Will do!" The woman chirped, stacking the plates and placing them on a tray, "Now, please excuse me." She bowed, picking up the tray with two hands as she balanced the dishes stacked on the tray as she disappeared to the kitchen.

"Alright, now that we have eaten, where shall we go?" Samuel queried, lacing his fingers together as he placed his arms on the table when Kiera shot up, punching the air.

"The Lion's head statue!" The black-haired child shouted excitedly. 

"Well then, The Lion's head statue comes first. Are you guys ready to leave?" The blond man asked.

"Yep! Let's go." Kiera answered for everyone as she excitedly stood up and grabbed the older man's wrist, attempting to pull the Aradian man.

"Woah, slow down, kid. The statue's not going anywhere." Samuel chuckled as Kiera continued to tug on his arm.

"Yeah, but you said that there was a fountain show, and I don't want to miss it!" The child grunted. "Plus, the day is close to ending, so come on!"

"I sort of agree with Kiera." Soul spoke as she pulled the straps of her satchel on, placing the bag on her side. "I want to see Scales museum."

"Ah, Scales museum. I didn't know you were a big fan of history." Samuel said, raising a curious brow at the young girl. 

"Not really, It's just I heard that it used to be Libra's Temple. I heard that when the temple was destroyed years ago, it was rebuilt as the museum it is today. The actual temple is what I'm really after." Soul explained with fake enthusiasm. Varian eyed the girl across him, knowing something was a bit off.

"Oh?" Samuel gasped softly, his eyes widening, "I heard about that as well. The actual remains of the temple are kept under lock and key and only security personnel can enter. Why do you want to see the temple?" The Aradian questioned, wondering how the girl knew about Libra's temple. The only ones who knew where the temples are were the followers of Merlin. Samuel's ancestors were followers of the man, and that is why he knew of Libra's temple inside Scales Museum and why he got a job there, to keep a close eye on the temple.

"Oh, it's why we're here. You see, we want to - OUCH!" Eugene hissed in pain as he was pinched harshly on the side by the astrologer.

"Oops! Sorry, I thought a spider crawling on you, Eugene." Soul smiled, the corner of her lips twitching. "I'm an astrologer, and I want to see a real-life Zodiac temple. Don't listen to this man." She replied, speaking for the ex-thief who is still groaning from the pain. Samuel stared at the girl while Soul continued to smile at the man. The two had a mini staring contest until Lance spoke.

"Come on! Let's go. We still have places to go." Samuel broke away from the lavender-haired girl's gaze, blinking. The blond man straightened up as he agreed with his friend. Clearing his throat, he leads the group outside the eatery, heading in the direction of The Lion's head statue with Kiera still holding his wrist.

"Why did you lie?" Varian whispered as he walked next to Soul.

"It's best not to tell anybody what we are doing. You can't trust anyone, even if it's your own father, brother, or best friend, especially, now that it's been almost three or four months since you guys sent Zhan Tiri to limbo. She has probably gathered enough strength to send out some of her shadow henchmen to spy on us or to stop us." The girl answered in a serious tone. "Speaking of which, what weapon did you bring?"

"An alchemy gun. Why?" The alchemist asked.

"Did you bring it with you?"

"No, It's in my bag back in the house." 

"I should have warned you guys before we arrived here. " Soul sighed. "Next time, bring it with you at all times. And make sure that the chem balls you use are luminescent. It's much more effective in dispersing the shadows." She warned, looking straight at the alchemist's eyes, causing Varian's face to heat up.

"Cough, sure. I'll make sure to take note of that- ahem." Varian fake coughed as he avoided the girl's gaze. He heard Soul hum a reply as he looked down to glance at the girl. "I didn't know you were this short." He sputtered.

SMACK!

"HMP! I am not short. You are just tall!" Soul growled, flipping her hair as she walked away from the alchemist, placing herself beside Rapunzel. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance, who heard the sound looked behind them to see Varian, caressing his cheek that had a red hand mark imprinted on it. The brunette turned to the younger girl beside her and saw that Soul was fuming in anger. Rapunzel shared a look with the two best friends, silently chuckling to each other.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

"This. Is.so. AWESOOOOOOOOOOME!!!!!!!!!!!" Kiera yelled as they arrived at their first destination, The Lion's head statue. The statue was in the middle of a fountain, which was in the middle of a small lake. Trees and other decorations sculpted in stone surrounding the lion's head, leaving an opening so that tourists can see the lion's face.

"I have to admit this is a nice view." Eugene stated as they watched the fountain show. The water was spiraling and some glowing. After the fountain show, which everyone, except Varian, enjoyed, Samuel led the group to the Scales museum. Varian did enjoy the show, but he enjoyed thinking of how the mechanism that allowed the fountain to spray the water in all directions was constructed more.

"And this beauty here is the Scales Museum. The oldest and most historical place here in the city of Aradia." He informed, making jazz hands as he introduced the museum. The group marveled at the building in front of them. Scales museum was built differently than the rest of the buildings they previously saw. There was a courtyard before the actual entrance of the museum with a marble statue of a woman holding a scale in the middle. The actual museum was painted white with painted stained glass decorating the windows of the museum. The inside was decorated elegantly, it was almost as if they stepped into a castle instead of a museum. Old statues, artifacts, paintings, and weapons littered the rooms with some people looking around.

"This is the most beautiful museum I ever saw." Rapunzel awed as she took in the sight in front of her. "Well, this is the first museum I ever went to, but yeah, you guys get it."

"There is so much history, and this is just the first room!" Soul squealed. 

"I thought you didn't like history?" Varian said, raising a brow.

"History history is what I don't like. Astrology history is different. Don't you see how much meteor samples and astrology equipment used in the past is here?" The girl beamed, gesturing to the corner of the room where most of the astrology-related things, was placed. Soul went on and on about some of the facts about meteors and how some equipment was used with Varian following her, not really listening but, he was staring as Soul babbled about astrology.

There it is again. Varian thought. The alchemist doesn't know why he likes seeing Soul talk happily about the things she loved. Maybe it's because her aura becomes completely different from her usual aura? Or the way her eyes lights would light up, even more, shining beautifully? Either way, Varian wished to see the girl be like this more, and he was happy that he already cleared the first obstacle. After all, Soul was slowly opening up to the group, and she was slowly becoming Varian's friend. Wait, aren't we friends already, though? I mean, it's not really official but, I think it's counted, right? Do friends even need to make their friendship official?

"Varian! were you even listening? Hello?" Soul asked, snapping her fingers in front of the blue-eyed alchemist who was staring at her. "Hello?!" 

"W-what?" Varian stammered as he shook his head, blinking rapidly. Soul just sighed as she gestured for the alchemist to follow her. 

"Hey Samuel, can we see where the temple is?" The girl asked, placing her hands behind her back as she looked up at the taller male.

"Weren't you listening earlier? Only security personnel can go inside. Plus, it's locked, so you can't see it anyway." Samuel chuckled as he explained. 

"Please? I don't care if we don't go inside. I just want to see where it is." Soul insisted. Samuel looked hesitant and unsure if he should let the girl see where the entrance is since he didn't know how the girl knew of the temple. "Pwease?"

BANG

S-so cute... Varian and Samuel thought as the astrologer pulled the puppy dog eyes, and boy was it effective. Clearing his throat, Samuel gave in as Soul let out a silent cheer while shaking the blushing alchemist.

\--------------

"Here it is. I told you it's locked." The Aradian said, gesturing to the locked door. 

"So, the temple is behind a locked door?" Eugene asked.

"Nope. Pass that door is a staircase that leads down to where the actual temple is." Samuel replied, leaning on a pillar by the door.

"How do you know this?" Catalina questioned, crossing her arms. At the little girl's question, Samuel knew he messed up.

"Oh, uhm, a friend told me." He answered, sweat dripping on his forehead.

"How does your friend know? I thought security personnel is the only ones allowed inside, does your friend work here?" Soul questioned, narrowing her eyes towards the male who was cornered between, a wall and a pillar. Something wasn't right here. He knows something. Soul realized, her eyes widening.

"Woah, Samuel, are you alright? Is there any trouble here?" A man with dark brown hair asked as he saw Samuel in a corner, being cornered by unfamiliar people. Samuel sighed, relieved that Antonio arrived just in time.

"Guys, this is Antonio, my friend, who works here." The blond introduced. "Don't worry, Toni, I know them." He reassured.

"Well, glad to meet you, folks. Now, what are you guys doing here in front of the forbidden vault?" Antonio questioned, looking at the group. 

"Forbidden vault?" Rapunzel asked, raising a brow. Uh oh. Samuel thought, gulping, hoping Antonio won't say anything that may blow his cover.

"Yeah, that door leads to the underground vault, where the museum keeps other historical items that won't fit inside the building." He explained. "And you, when are you starting your shift? You didn't go to work yesterday, and you never miss a shift. Why didn't you show up anyway?" Antonio asked, looking at the blond man. Ah, I'm screwed. The blond thought, feeling uncomfortable at the looks he got from the group.

"Ah, well, you caught me. I work here! Hehe.." Samuel exclaimed with fake enthusiasm, chuckling nervously. The group just stared at him, waiting for the man to explain. "Ah, sorry for lying. It's just that this is a museum secret, and I may get fired if I let you guys in." 

"Why do you guys want to go in so badly anyway?" Antonio asked.

"We want to see Libra's temple." Soul replied, stepping forward slightly. 

"LIbra's what?" The brown-haired man asked confusedly, tilting his head. Panicking, Samuel thought of an excuse before Antonio spills another secret.

"You don't know about the temple? Samuel said that only the staff knows about the temple." Varian mumbled as he looked towards the blond male.

"Of course, Antonio knows about the temple He's just joking with you all." Samuel laughed, "Right?" He pushed, giving his friend a look that says 'just-play-a-long'

"Oh! Right, right, I know about that. Stay away from it. It's dangerous." Antonio hesitated, not really sure what was going on, but followed the blond male's request anyway. The group eyed the two males suspiciously, but they soon shrugged it off, not wanting to push them from saying anything. The ones who stayed suspicious were Soul and Varian, as they knew Antonio was lying about knowing what's in the vault and Samuel hiding something.

"Well, let's go now. There are other more places we need to see before going home. It was nice seeing you Antonio, I'll go to work tomorrow, but for now, I have to tour these guys." The blond stated as he waved goodbye to the other Aradian.

"You better go to work soon. Oh, and the boss was looking for you. You should see her tomorrow when you take your shift." Antonio informed. "See ya, guys, it was nice meeting you."

"Bye!"

"Nice meeting you, too."

"Come on, let's stop by the market place to buy more groceries." Samuel said as they exited the museum. Everyone agreed as they followed the Aradian leading them. Soul stopped walking for a bit, looking back at the museum.

"Something's not right." She whispered.

"Is everything okay?" Varian asked beside her. "The others are already leaving. We should catch up."

"I feel like, Samuel is hiding something from us, but I don't know what." Soul said, furrowing her brows. "Like, why would he lie to us? I don't get it. And I feel like he knows something that we don't know." She whispered, voicing her concerns. 

"I don't know." The alchemist replied truthfully, "I'm sure we'll figure it out later, but for now, let's enjoy ourselves. Okay?" He asked, smiling.

"Okay." Soul agreed as she and Varian hurried to catch up with their friends who were already far away.

(The picture above is from the game "The Arcana" By Nix Hydra, and this what I pictured Scales Museum's entrance and structure to look like.)


	19. Chapter 18: Aradian Marketplace

"Wow! Aradia sure is a busy city." Rapunzel exclaimed as they arrived at a shopping district where the marketplace was. Aside from the local stores, the district was crowded with small stalls placed on the streets, making the road narrower than it usually is. The entire marketplace was crowded with vendors advertising some sale they have, and buyers walking to and fro some stalls, buying what they need. 

"This place triggers my claustrophobia." Varian mumbled.

"Claustrophobia? What's that?" Lance asked Eugene, whispering.

"He must be scared of clowns." Eugene answered.

"But I don't see any clowns."

"Shh, the poor boy must be hallucinating."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Varian intervened, his eye twitching in annoyance.

"Right. Anyway, don't worry, little man. We won't let any clowns near you." Lance confidently responded as Varian slapped his hand in his face, sighing.

"As sweet as that sounds, that's not what claustrophobia means, Lance." Soul informed, holding a finger up. "Claustrophobia is a fear of crowded places. The fear of clowns is called Coulrophobia."

"I don't know. Coulrophobia sounds like a fear of coals." Eugene doubted, placing a hand on his chin, stroking his goatee.

"Don't bother, Soul. I tried." Varian groaned. The girl just shook her head as she continued to lecture the two of the difference between the two phobias, shocking Varian.

"Why would she do that?" The alchemist muttered, confused as she stared at the girl lecturing the grown men.

"Soul is actually pretty patient, and she's a great teacher." Kiera commented as she stood next to the teen. "She taught Catalina and me a bunch of stuff that we don't usually understand in a span of, I don't know, a week?"

"She tutored you two?" Varian asked. Where was I when this happened? He thought.

"Yup! We're usually on top of the caravan when she tutors us." Catalina replied, appearing next to Kiera. "We thought she would lash out on us for being so slow in understanding stuff, but she actually took her time in making us understand it properly."

"What did she teach you two? I'm curious." 

"She taught us how to navigate using the stars as a guide." Kiera answered. Well, that explains why they suddenly disappear after dinner. 

"And she taught us how to whip up some quick tonics and useful antidotes, like the cure for poison ivy." Catalina added. 

"Really? And she taught you that in a week?" Varian questioned, shocked that Soul taught the two some complex medicines in a week. He was already having a hard time instructing Lance something he needed him to do back in Corona, and he was teaching the man for more than a month, and Lance still didn't get it. But here was Soul, teaching two kids how to make cures and navigating in a span of two weeks.

"Got it?" Soul asked. 

"Woah! That made perfect sense." Eugene replied, his jaw, dropping.

"Now, I get it!" Lance beamed as he ruffled the astrologer's hair, stopping as he saw the small glare the girl gave him.

"What did you tell them?" Varian asked as Soul walked back next to him.

"Oh, I told them that Claustrophobia is when Santa Claus gets scared with everyone surrounding him whenever they see him. And that Coulrophobia is when coals are used as makeup for clowns, making everyone afraid of them as I made them imagine a clown wearing coal as makeup." Soul explained. The alchemist played the ridiculous explanation the girl told him but thought that the description was perfect for someone like Lance and Eugene to understand the difference between the two phobias.

"That's actually genius." He complimented.

"Thanks, It's quite enjoyable teaching an actual person. The only ones I taught were Flick and Hoots, and that was when I'm super bored." The astrologer said, smiling. 

"Alright, I have discussed with Rapunzel that we would be splitting up." Samuel announced. Clearing his throat, he continued, "I would be grocery shopping, and Rapunzel offered to help me with Eugene and Lance. That leaves the four of you, children. I'm counting on you, Soul, Varian, to take care of Catalina and Kiera. Understood?" The blond asked as he stared at the two teens.

"I don't mind. I like Soul." Kiera replied, holding Soul's hand. The astrologer blushed as she agreed with the arrangement. Samuel handed Varian a bag of coins, as the man explained Aradian currency.

"The gold coins are worth 20, silver coins are worth 10, and the bronze coins are worth 1. It's easy to memorize." Samuel explained. 

"It is. Don't worry. I got it." The alchemist answered as he opened the bag, seeing that it was filled with gold coins. "This is a lot! Are you sure we can have this?" He doubted.

"It's fine. just spend it wisely." 

"Let's go there first!" Catalina shouted, pointing at a store filled with toys. The red-headed girl ran towards the shop dragging Kiera, who was tugging Soul.

"Well, we'll meet you four here at." The Aradian glanced at his watch. "6:00 pm. We have 3 hours each to do what we need to do. Now, go along now, kiddo', your children already ran off."

"Take care, Varian! Don't let Kiera and Catalina eat too many sweets. Knowing those two, they would charm you into buying them sweets." Lance instructed, to which the alchemist noted.

"Make sure Soul gets to have a good time. Aradia is the first city she's been to, try and make it special for her." Rapunzel added, waving goodbye as her group left to another part of the district where most produce and vegetable stores were. Varian waved as well, sighing as he walked towards the toy store the three girls entered.

"You three shouldn't run off like that. You might get lost- What are you wearing?" He asked as he saw the black-haired girl wearing a headband with raccoon ears.

"I'm Ruddiger now." Kiera declared, making chittering sounds. "Chitter Chitter."

"And I'm Max!" Catalina shouted, suddenly appearing next to Varian, making the alchemist jump in shock. He eyed the red-head and saw that she was wearing a matching horse ear headband and horsetail. "Neigh!"

"This is really childish of you two." Varian deadpanned.

"They are a child after all, what do you expect. But isn't this place so fun!? The stuffed animals are adorable." Soul beamed as she hugged a stuffed panda. 

"Well, the plushies are cute, won't deny it." Varian agreed as he picked up a stuffed bear from the rack. 

"Soul, wear this!" Catalina said, holding out a pair of bear paw gloves and a headband with bear ears. Soul obliged and put on the bear ears over the headband of her veil, slipping on the gloves.

"How do I look?" She asked, making growling noises at the two girls. Hearing Catalina and Kiera giggling like madmen and Soul making scratching gestures.

"Rawr!" Soul roared as Catalina and Kiera giggled. Looking up, the girl saw Varian staring at her with his face red. "Varian, are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine, but we should go. We already stayed too long in this one shop." He answered, avoiding the girl's gaze as Catalina and Kiera looked at each other. "Oh, and here's some money. I think it would be wise to split this up, you know, just in case." He added as he gave the three girls some money.

"Thanks, and yeah, your right. Let's go, girls." Soul agreed, taking off the headband and gloves before placing the money in her satchel. "I hope there's a book store. I wanna buy some new journals."

"I think I spotted one earlier." Kiera said as she took off her raccoon ears and placing it back neatly where she took them.

"Well, let's goooO!"

"CATALINA, SLOW DOWN!"

"GIRLS, WAIT UP! UGH, WHY AM I STUCK WITH YOU THREE AGAIN?"

"Rapunzel told you so!"

\------------------------------------

Standing alone in the middle of the street was Varian looking dead as a zombie. He has given up all means to go on.........

...........and search for the kids he's babysitting. Notice how he said 'kids' and not 'kids and teenager'. KIDS. He has recently learned that as much as Soul was a calm and collected girl, who was probably afraid of human interaction as much as he is, was really hyper when it comes to the things she likes. Varian lost sight of her when she went to speed off to some stall that sells space-related items. He was about to go towards Soul when Catalina and Kiera went in another direction. The alchemist thought that Soul would probably be smart enough to stay in one spot if she ever got lost as he went to find the two children. But alas, Varian couldn't catch up to Catalina and Kiera as the two were small and Varian lost sight of them from the sea of people. When Varian went to get Soul to tell her that he lost the two children, he found the was girl gone from the stall she was in earlier.

"I knew this would happen." He sighed exasperatedly. "Now, where would Kiera, Catalina, and Soul be? It would be wiser to find Kiera and Catalina first. But Soul never went outside of Corona, and the two were once thieves. I'm sure they can handle themselves. OH, who am I kidding? They're still children! Lance is gonna kill me." Varian flopped down on the sidewalk as he ruffled his hair in annoyance. Leaning back, he noticed a figure that looked like Soul walk by in an alley.

"Soul?" He called. The figure looked at him but quickly looking away as it sped off. "Wait, Soul, where are you going?" 

Varian got up and chased the figure as the figure kept running in the alleyways. Over thrash cans, jumping up walls and rooftops, and running left and right. The alchemist struggled to keep up as he never really ran this fast since the race for Herz Der Sonne's treasure months ago. Varian huffed as he arrived at a dead end. He looked around and saw that the figure was gone. Confused, he began calling out, "Soul? Where are you?"

"I'm here." A voice responded behind him. Turning around, he saw the girl smiling behind him.

"What were you doing? Making me follow you down here. Are you alright?" Varian asked as he stepped closer to the girl, checking if she was injured or anything. Soul continued smiling at Varian, to which the boy was confused. "What? Is there something on my face?"

Soul shook her head but continued staring and smiling at the boy, making Varian shift uncomfortably.

"Okay, look, we need to go find Kiera and Catalina. I lost sight of them earlier. Let's go." Varian grabbed Soul's wrist, pulling her lightly. "How did you find me even, plus I was sure you were in front of me. How did you even -" The alchemist stopped talking, freezing in his spot. He looked back at the girl, glancing down and eyeing her. Soul's pink eyes stared up at him. 

Pink. Soul's eyes are blue. Upon the realization, Varian dropped the girl's wrist, stepping back from her. 

"Who are you, and where's the real Soul?" He asked. The creature giggled as it shifted out of the astrologer's appearance turning into a shadow of a human-goat hybrid. The creature leaped, taking out its sword and slashing at Varian. Letting out a cry, Varian barely dodged as the blade ripped the fabric on his shoulder, lightly slicing his skin, drawing a small amount of blood from the wound. The creature faced Varian as the boy backed into the alleyway, a dumb move, but he had no choice. The creature stepped forward, preparing to kill the alchemist. 

Is this how I die? Varian thought as his eyes focused on the shadow creature in front of him. Why did I choose to leave my alchemy at the wrong time?

The shadow held his sword up but as he was about to stab Varian, when a loud voice shouted something as a bunch of luminescent butterflies appeared, dispersing the shadow creature.

"V, are you okay?" Kiera questioned as she checked the alchemist. "You're bleeding! Is this the only wound you have?" The black-haired girl exclaimed as she spotted the wound on the boy's shoulder.

"I'm fine, but how did you guys find me?" Varian asked as he looked at the three who were slightly panting, probably from running.

"Kiera and I spotted you running after something. But we just shrugged it off since that was your own thing when Soul found us and told us that she felt something was wrong and asked where you were." Catalina answered as she helped steady the lavender-haired girl, who was out of breath.

"I thought I told you not to trust easily?" Soul snapped.

"I- I thought that was you." Varian stammered, stepping back as the girl went closer to him. Soul grabbed his ear, pulling it. "OW!"

"Did you ever stop to realize that I know nothing of this place and that I wouldn't have known the routes to get here?" Soul said, crossing her arms while glaring at the boy.

"I realized that a bit too late." Varian replied, scratching his cheek. Soul raised a brow as if to say 'really' "I noticed her eyes were pink, not blue."

"Wow, I didn't know you were stupidly smart, V." Kiera commented.

"Yeah, you noticed the eyes were different, but the fact that Soul was running around the alleyways of Aradia when she doesn't even know the place, you didn't bother noticing." Catalina added.

"Alright, alright! I'm sorry, It was my fault- Actually, no, it was your faults." Varian pointed. "If you guys didn't run off, I wouldn't have mistaken Soul for that creature- being, whatever that was!"

"That was one of Zhan Tiri's henchmen." Soul replied, before looking down in shame, " I'm sorry, I just got excited when I saw the number of star items in that stall. I shouldn't have run off like that. It was very childish of me." She apologized. 

"Yeah, me too." Catalina copied.

"Sorry, V." Kiera apologized. Varian just sighed before hugging the three.

"Just please listen to me next time." He said, smiling.

"Aye aye!" They mocked salute. The four looked at each other, erupting in a fit of laughter.

"Hey, what time is it?"

"5:30."

"We need to get back, FAST."

"Did any of you remember where we went?"

The four went silent as the atmosphere became awkward.

"WE'LL BE DEAD IF WE DON'T GET BACK THERE ASAP!"

"DON'T WORRY, I'M ON IT!"

\-----------------------------------------

"What happened to you guys?" Rapunzel asked as she spotted the group of kids and teenagers panting and slightly disheveled.

"A long story." Varian spoke, coughing a bit.

"A really long story." Kiera echoed.

"Oh, well, we're heading back now. You can tell us when we get back." The four nodded as they followed the older girl where their other friends were.


	20. Chapter 19: Shadows Lurking

The four children were currently facing the wall as to Rapunzel's orders. The brunette didn't want to punish them, but, for the sake of Samuel not knowing what really happened, Rapunzel was forced to give the children punishment for 'going to another place without permission'.

"This sucks." Kiera commented.

"Bear with it, guys. It's only...." Varian glanced at the clock, "30 minutes left." Choruses of groans echoed when the alchemist stated the time left before they are free from their punishment.

"Sucks to be you, kids, right now. Why did you leave the marketplace?" Samuel asked as he passed by the four kids staring at the blank wall.

"We chased a cat." Soul answered, folding her arms on her chest. Varian mentally facepalmed at the girl's poor excuse of a lie.

"Uh-huh." The Aradian man hummed, still looking at the girl suspiciously before turning to the other three. "Anyone wanna try harder?"

"Well, if that's what Soul calls a handsome citizen, then yes. We chased a cat." Kiera replied, giving the older girl a teasing glance, as Soul let out a sharp gasp.

"That's a lie!" She growled.

"Don't hide it, Soul. You were so smitten with that man." Catalina teased.

"Oh?" Samuel amusedly looked at the fuming lavender-haired girl as the two younger girls continued to tease her. "Well, if you need help in love, I'm the right guy to ask." He smugly stated as he fixed his collar.

"Yeah, no, I'd rather ask the princess." Soul deadpanned. The older man chuckled as he ruffled the girl's hair before letting out a yawn. "I'll be turning in for the night. You four still have 22 minutes left before you can go to sleep. Goodnight!"

"Good night, Sam!" Eugene greeted as he watched his old friend disappear into his room. Once the coast was clear, Eugene ushered the children to follow him to the living room for them to tell the real story.

"I'm so sorry for making you guys stand and face the wall for 1 hour." Rapunzel apologized.

"It's fine. It was for the secret's safety, after all." Soul replied, brushing the princess' apology. "We were also at fault that's why the incident happened. "

"So, can you guys tell us what really happened?" Eugene interrogated, sitting down next to Rapunzel.

"Well, where to start?" Varian trailed off before proceeding to explain what happened.

\-----------------------------------

"So, the fake Soul turned out to be a shadow of a human-goat hybrid, and it tried to kill you?" Lance exclaimed, shocked at what he heard.

"SSSSSSSHHHHH!"

"Sorry."

"But, yeah. I only realized it wasn't Soul when I looked into its eyes. I noticed its eyes were pink instead of Soul's blue eyes. That's where I noticed something was wrong." Varian clarified, running his fingers through his hair.

"What were those shadows? Why was it trying to kill you?" Rapunzel queried, concerned, and conflicted about how to feel about their newfound situation.

"I believe this is my fault again." Soul spoke up, raising her hand. "I only told you guys to bring weapons, but I never fully explained why I told you to bring them. You see, those shadows are Zhan Tiri's henchman, and it looks like Zhan Tiri has already regained a small portion of her powers." She explained.

"Let me guess. Those shadows were sent here to get the orbs from us and to eliminate us so we won't stand in the demoness' way?" Eugene said in a sarcastic tone.

"Obviously." Soul scoffed, flopping on the couch beside Kiera, leaning her head on the younger girl's head, Kiera snuggling towards her more.

"How is Angry not pushing her away?" Lance whispered to Varian and Eugene, to which the two shrugged in response.

"How do we stop the shadows?" Rapunzel asked.

"Simple. Any type of light source would kill those shadows off." Soul answered.

"But why not tell us to bring a bunch of flares or candles? Why weapons?" Varian asked, raising a brow.

"Well, if you noticed, the shadows are not affected by the light if they're in their disguise or human form. The best way for them to shift back to their shadow form is to tire them or inflict serious damage on them." The astrologer explained. With the mention of inflicting damage, Varian instantly thought of blood, causing him to shiver lightly. "They don't have blood, so you don't have to worry about having blood on your hands." Soul added to the relief of the alchemist.

"Is there any way for us to distinguish who is who? I mean, anyone of us here right now can be a shadow." Catalina inquired, looking at everyone.

"From what I know, there is usually a mark somewhere, or a feature of the person is slightly different from the real one. Like what Varian encountered. The shadow's eyes were pink." Soul answered, putting a hand under her chin.

"Man, those shadows are dumb. Why can't they shapeshift into the person properly?" Eugene mocked, laughing.

"Hey! We all have flaws. Leave the shadows alone." Rapunzel defended, causing everyone in the room to sweatdrop.

"Raps, they're the enemy. Don't defend them." Kiera said.

"Oh, right." The princess muttered shyly.

"But, in a way, though, the princess is right. It's just the shadows' weakness. They can't fully shapeshift into a person they want to without noticeable changes." Soul backed up.

"So how do we know we are the real us? Just for safety measures." Varian insisted. The room turned quiet as everyone thought of a way to know that everyone is the real them.

"Do you have a spell that can check if we're the real us?" Kiera asked the girl beside her. Soul only shook her head as a response. "How about a truth spell?"

"There is, but I don't know how to cast that."

"Wait!" Varian shouted, causing him to be shushed by everyone. The alchemist mumbled a small sorry before continuing, "We don't need a truth spell. Uh, I have my truth serum!" He beamed.

"You created a truth serum?" Soul asked, bewildered that truth serums are real as she thought it was only a spell.

"It was accidental back then, but yeah. I created a truth serum." Varian answered as he proudly put his hands on his hips.

"That could work, right?" Lance questioned, looking at everyone.

"Yeah, It could work." Rapunzel answered before yawning. "Well, I'm bushed. Let's continue this tomorrow morning. Good night everyone!" She greeted as she went upstairs, Eugene following behind her after saying good night.

"Goodnight, guys."

"Sweet dreams!"

"Sleep tight!"

"Don't let the bed bugs bite!"

"There are bed bugs?"

"Soul, it's like just saying when greeting good night."

"Oh!"

\------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Samuel woke up earlier than usual as he got ready for his shift at the museum, putting on his uniform. Sam quickly wrote a note telling his guests where he would be for the whole morning and afternoon, sticking it on the table for everyone to see. Checking himself in the mirror, he nodded in approval as he exited the house to begin walking to the museum.

After the long walk to Scales Museum, since the museum was quite far from his house, he entered the museum at the backdoor where most of the staff enter. Samuel was about to head straight to the locker room when he remembered what Antonio told him. Sighing, he turned to the opposite way to walk towards the boss' office. Stopping at the door, Samuel put on a stoic face before knocking.

"Come in." A female voice answered behind the door. Sighing, Samuel opened the door to reveal a beautiful woman sitting on the chair behind her desk. The Aradian man sucked in a breath. If this woman weren't his boss, he would have definitely courted her. Clara Lune. Another one of the protectors of the temple. She was one of the reasons why Samuel continued his job in the museum, besides protecting the temple. Her hair was dark as the night. Her eyes as blue as the sky, and skin as white as snow. Clara stood up revealing her outfit that fitted her hourglass figure perfectly. In short, the woman was breathtaking.

"I- I'm sorry I was absent yesterday. I won't do it again." Samuel stammered as he tried to explain why he was absent, but the woman cut him short, raising a hand to stop him.

"That's not why I asked you here." Okay, that's new. "I asked you here because I heard someone asked you to take them to Libra's temple. Is that true?" Clara asked. The woman's silky voice was enough to make Samuel's knees tremble.

"Yes, but -"

"I want you to keep them out."

"What?" Samuel asked confusedly.

"I want you to keep them out." Clara repeated.

"But um, Clara, I feel like we can show them the temple. I mean Soul and the others already know about it anyway, and it's not like they would do anything. Although, Soul's name feels somewhat familiar as if I heard it before." The man insisted but stopped as the woman gave him a harsh glare. Clara's usually not like this. Is it that time of the month? He thought.

"I want you to keep them out. Am I clear?" Clara commanded. Samuel was hesitant but agreed nonetheless as he didn't want to lose his job.

"Yes, ma'am." He stated, bowing. Unbeknownst to him, Clara evilly smiled as she stared down the blond man. Samuel stood back up as he excused himself, exiting the room. Standing in front of the door, he ran his hand through his hair, groaning. Why was being a protector hard?

\-------------------------------------------

"Soul?" Samuel called as he spotted the lavender-haired girl walking around the museum.

"Oh! Hi Samuel." She greeted, smiling, though her smile didn't reach her eyes. "I was just looking around. We didn't get to explore the museum that much yesterday, so I decided to go here and explore some more." She explained.

"It's only you?" The blond man looked around, not seeing anyone else. "I'm surprised Rapunzel and Eugene let you out after that stunt you kids pulled yesterday at the market." He chuckled.

"Varian's actually here with Lance. Well, not inside here, but they're checking out some shop in front of the museum." Soul replied as she looked at the painting of the 12 Zodiacs in front of her. Samuel, copying her.

"Did you know that that the star symbol in the middle of the Zodiacs refers to the stardust?" Samuel stated, giving the girl beside him a factoid.

"Yeah, I see that symbol all around my house back in Corona. And I know about the stardust's legend." The astrologer answered. Samuel sharply turned towards the girl, his eyes wide as he stared at her.

Feeling someone staring at her, Soul turned to look at the older man. Confused at his shocked expression. "Is something wrong?"

I remember now.....

"Nope, nothing's wrong." Samuel answered, smiling.

Liar......

Glancing at the side, Samuel spotted Clara staring at him and Soul. Gulping, the man took out his watch, looking at it.

"Oh, look! It's the end of my shift. Well, let's get going now, Soul. I bet Lance and Varian are waiting for you outside." He suggested, lightly pushing the girl.

"Huh? But I'm not done looking around yet!" Soul protested, but Samuel kept on pushing her.

"You wouldn't want to spend your time in this museum anyway. Listen, I know a store with lots of astrology stuff. Why don't we stop by and see what you like?" He persuaded. The girl thought about it for a second, not ignoring the man's odd behavior and wanting her to get out of the museum. Sighing, Soul agreed, much to the blond man's relief.

Samuel led the girl out of the museum, engaging her in small talk as an attempt to distract her. However, what he didn't know, Soul was quite the actress. She hid her suspicion of the man very well. After all, she did catch his boss looking at them earlier. And hear this, his boss didn't have a shadow. How peculiar. Soul inwardly smirked. How peculiar indeed, just what are you hiding from us, Samuel?


	21. Chapter 20: Clara Lune

Stars. That's what all Samuel saw after he was struck on the back of his neck. The man was walking home from his shift in the museum when someone hit him. He didn't know who it was, but he did see its shadow. 

"Looks like they got you too, huh, Sammy?" A voice spoke next to him.

"Huh - WHAT?!" Turning to look, he saw a black-haired woman sitting on the corner, her back leaning on the wall behind her. "CLARA? WHAT - BUT YOU? HUH?"

"Hello." Clara greeted flatly, waving her hand. Samuel stood there, shocked, still processing what he's seeing. "You look like you saw a ghost."

"What are you doing here? No -, how long have you been here?" Samuel cautiously asked, his voice low. The woman shrugged, her green eyes staring at the man with a bored expression.

"I lost track after four, and that was after we all celebrated Henry's birthday." Clara replied. Samuel's face paled at the woman's answer. Henry's birthday was four days before Eugene and his friends arrived here. Counting the days that have passed... 

"You've been here for three weeks?" He gasped. 

"That long? Heh, no wonder I was starting to lose my mind." The woman responded, not really bothered by the fact that she was stuck in an unknown place for a long time. Samuel stared at the woman softly. Now he remembers what felt off that time the imposter called him to her office. Clara was never serious or seductive, unlike the woman he spoke to. Clara is a very laid back and sensitive person. She often lazes around the museum, usually found near the old weapon section of the museum. Despite being super attractive, as the male staff would say, Clara was never one to care for her looks or how she dresses, making Samuel fall for the woman more. Clara's temper is also known around the staff. That's why no one bothered to disobey the woman, scared to face her wrath. 

"What are you looking at?" Samuel snapped out of his thought at the woman's question. 

"It's nothing, it's just that I remember now what made you different from the imposter." He answered, shaking his head.

"Huh? What's that?" Clara inquired, raising a brow.

"When I was absent one day, you didn't lash out on me. In al honesty, I was already prepared to face your wrath, but it didn't happen." Samuel lied. Well, half-lied. There was no way he would let the woman know what he really remembered. It would make it too evident that he has feelings for her.

"Hah!? You were absent?!" Ahh.. There it is.

"Be mad at me next time, but first things first. Where are we?" The blond man queried, scanning the room they were on. The room was plain and bare of furniture. The only light source in the room was a small window, high enough for the people trapped in the room not to escape. The entrance to the room was a heavy metal door locked from the outside. And since the door was made of metal, it would take extreme strength and a long time for them to bust down.

"I don't know, and I'm not sure." Clara answered truthfully, leaning back on the wall, her arms behind her head. The room was silent for a bit when Clara spoke up again. "Zhan Tiri's henchmen."

"What?" Samuel asked.

"For someone who protects the temple, one might think that you know about Zhan Tiri's shadow henchmen." Clara sarcastically replied, rolling her eyes. 

"I know about that, but what're Zhan Tiri's henchmen doing around the orbs? I thought that demon wants the Moonstone opal and Sun drop?"

"Aiya, did you not hear the news?" Clara asked, raising her brow at the blond man who was shyly shaking his head no. Sighing, the dark-haired woman proceeded to explain, "The Sun drop was used to heal Corona's queen years ago and its power was transferred to the princess. About a year ago, the princess, Rapunzel, was her name? I can't recall, anyways, she successfully combined the Sun drop and Moonstone opal to defeat Zhan Tiri, sending the demoness to limbo. So now, Zhan Tiri is looking for the orbs to wish herself out there."

"So that's why Soul wants to see Libra's temple so bad...." Samuel mumbled, to which the woman still heard.

"Wait, Soul? Isn't she...." Clara asked, wide-eyed as she leaned forward.

"I'm afraid so." Samuel replied solemnly, looking at the floor.

"So Igneous and Wisteria succeeded, huh." Clara muttered, leaning back on the wall, closing her eyes. The man didn't say anything, instead, he hummed as a reply. "Poor girl. Do you think she could handle the truth?"

"I think it's better if her brother would be the one to break and explain the news to her. Although I think she can handle it. From what I see, she's a strong young girl." Samuel replied.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"Soul, what in the world are you doing?" Varian questioned, watching the lavender-haired girl walk around outside Scales Museum. Four times.

"Oh, I haven't told you about my plan yet, have I." Soul asked, stopping as she turned towards the alchemist.

"If you did, I wouldn't be weirded out by the fact that you have circled the museum about four times now." Varian replied, folding his arms on his chest, raising a brow, causing the girl to roll her eyes at the boy's sassy remark.

"Well, here's my plan, Mr. Sassy pants." Varian was about to say something but stopped when the girl gave him a sharp look. "I'm planning on sneaking inside the museum when it's the time of the peak."

"What?! That's a horrible plan. In fact, that's trespassing." He opposed. The last thing the boy wanted to do was to commit any type of crime outside of the kingdom. Plus, judging from past experiences, committing a crime to achieve something is never the right way to do things.

"What choice do we have? We're basically banned from the museum. We step in for about a few minutes, but before we can even go further inside, we are ushered out." Soul protested, visibly upset as the girl always wanted to look at the astrology equipment more. But before she can reach the space section, Samuel or some other staff would show her out. "Not only that, but the peak is in one week. We need to find a way to get inside the temple, fast."

"Still, though, do we really have to sneak in?" Varian trailed off, looking at the girl with uncertainty. Soul sighed and nodded her head.

"Unless we convince Samuel to let us inside, we don't have any other choice." Soul replied.

"Let you two inside where?" Samuel's voice questioned, behind the two teenagers, startling them.

"Inside your pantry! You never let us in." Soul flawlessly lied, puffing her cheeks, pouting. Varian stared at the girl, seemingly amazed at how fast her personality changed.

"Well, If I did let you two in, I'm sure the food will be all gone." Samuel chuckled. Soul's eyes widened a bit in surprise but quickly masking it with a fake disappointment expression.

"Aww, I just wanted a small midnight snack." She protested, huffing a bit. Samuel smiled at the astrologer's childish antics, revealing his pointy teeth. Varian gasped, quickly covering his mouth. 

"IS there something wrong, Varian?" The blond man asked. Throwing a side-glance at the boy beside her, Soul knew that Varian noticed it too. After all, out of everyone, Soul was sure that Varian would be the second to know if someone is fake.

"Nothing, I just realized that I haven't given Ruddiger his bath yet. Come on, Soul, let's go back. See you later, Sam!" Varian bid goodbye as he grabbed the astrologer's wrist, tugging her along.

After confirming that they were far enough from Samuel, Varian stopped speed walking as he sighed in relief.

"So, you noticed it too, huh?" Soul asked.

"Yeah, I noticed it when he smiled. Samuel doesn't have any pointy teeth." Varian nodded as they continued to walk. "You did too, huh?"

"I noticed it when I mentioned the pantry thing. Samuel doesn't have a pantry." Soul answered.

"Wow, so that lie was intentional?" Varian asked, amazed at the girl's cleverness.

"A bit. Although, I have no backup plan if that was the real Samuel." Soul replied, shyly scratching her cheek. 

"What did you have in mind?"

"I was planning on knocking him out and act as it was all a dream."

"AHHAHAAHAH! I didn't know you could be hilarious."

".....I'm serious...."

".........."

The two walked in silence until Soul remembered something.

"Varian?" 

"Yes?"

"Will you please let go of me now?"

"......"

"......"

".....No."

"Why?"

"You might run off again. I'm not taking my chances."

"But-"

"No, buts."

"But, your hand is hot and sweaty..."

"Deal with it."


	22. Chapter 21: Operation: Sneak In!

Peacefully, sleeping in his shared room with Lance. Varian was dreaming of ham sandwiches and being the best inventor in the world until he was woken up by someone slamming the door open.

"Varian, wake up!" Soul shouted.

"AAAAAAHHHH- swjefbeasdf!" Varian screamed but, his scream was cut off short by the astrologer jumping on the bed, covering his mouth, placing a finger on her lips.

"Shhhh! Be quiet. You'll startle the shadow." She whispered, slowly putting her hand down from Varian's mouth.

"Why are you waking me up at this hour?" The alchemist whisper shouted.

"Have you forgotten? Today is Libra's peak. It's 11 pm. We have three more hours to get ready." Soul answered, getting off the bed.

"Why can't the Zodiacs have set their peak at like, 8 pm or something." Varian complained under his breath. "I'm assuming you have a plan so we can enter the temple?"

"Yes! I have been forming this plan for the past four weeks ever since Samuel said that only security personnel could enter the temple. I'm quite proud of it." Soul declared, putting her hands on her hips as she smiled widely.

The alchemist stared at the girl, not knowing if he should be scared, amazed, or both. 

"It involves trespassing, doesn't it?"

"Yep!"

"Oh, boy." Varian sighed. Facepalming.

"Now, help me wake everyone up."

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Huddled together in the living room, Soul and the gang went over the plan, one last time with Flick, Hoots, Ruddiger, and Pascal on the lookout for Samuel.

"Are you sure he won't eavesdrop?" Eugene doubted, looking at the staircase. "I still can't believe that he's not the real Samuel."

"That's why I'm letting my glow flies roam around. With this amount of light, no shadow would eavesdrop on us." Soul replied, gesturing to the hundreds of glowing butterflies flying around the house.

"I'm worried about that guy. Do you think he's alright?" Lance worriedly stated, thinking of his captured friend. Nobody answered, looking away from Lance.

"I- I'm sure he's fine, Lance. We should have faith. Samuel's a tough man. He can survive a thousand storms." Eugene comforted, putting an arm around his best friend, cheering him up.

"I promise we'll find and save him after we take the orb. Because right now, the orb is much more important especially, now that Zhan Tiri's shadow henchmen are also after the orb." Soul determinedly stated.

Varian coughed, grabbing the attention of his friends. "Correct me if I'm wrong but, if the shadows are after the orbs, shouldn't they be after us as well? More specifically, you?" He hypothesized.

"Right! That's why I am the official protector of the orbs." Soul answered, patting her satchel where the orbs are. 

"Woah, Woah, Woah! You are not risking your life, kid. You might get killed!" Eugene exclaimed. The man doesn't want to admit it openly yet, but Soul has somehow warmed up to him and, he sees the girl as a younger sister.

"Well, If I, who has magic, can get killed by protecting the orbs. How much more if you guys handle the orbs?" Soul defended. Eugene opened his mouth but closed, it seeing as the girl had a point.

"Just take care of yourself, alright, Soul?" Rapunzel said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Like Eugene, Rapunzel was hesitant to let the girl take care of the orbs. The brunette, of all people, knows the risk of protecting something so valuable that you would even sacrifice your life just to keep it safe. But she knew they had no other choice.

"I will. I lived this long alone in a forest full of dangerous creatures. I'm sure I'll survive some shadows." Soul replied, smiling a little. Turning from the princess, she looked at everyone with an authoritative stare. "Now, listen up."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Kiera, you'll be the main distraction. If you fail, the whole plan will fall apart. Pretend that you're lost, and you're looking for your mother."

"You know, I think I like the museum more in the day." A security guard told his companion as they patrolled around the building.

"Yeah. For some reason, it got more ominous around here." the other replied, scanning their surroundings for potential thieves.

"Mommy?" A child's voice spoke, stopping the two guards. "Mommy, where are you?" The child called from outside.

"You hear that, Fred?" The former asked. Fred nodded as they stayed quiet to see where the voice came from.

"Mommy, I'm scared!" The child cried.

"It looks like it came from outside." Fred informed. "You stay here, Messiah. I'll check on that kid." He commanded as Messiah mocked a salute, agreeing.

"For the past week, I've studied the guards assigned that keep watch every night and, I've finally figured out who takes patrols on which days. Messiah and Fred are scheduled to patrol tonight. Messiah is easy to scare, while Fred is easy to fool. We'll use that to our advantage."

Fred exited the museum as he looked around for the crying child.

"Mommy, where are you?" Turning his head, Fred saw a small silhouette by the lamp post. Walking closer, he spotted a small black-haired child crying.

"Who are you, little kid and, what are you doing outside at this hour?" Fred queried.

"Make sure to keep Fred distracted. Don't let him near the museum in case everything gets a bit rowdy, or else he'll call for back up."

"My name is Kiera, and I'm looking for my mommy. She told me to wait for her here, but she isn't back yet. I want my mommy!" Kiera cried as she jumped on the guard, hugging him. 

"Oh, um... There, there, don't cry. I'll help you find your mommy." Fred stated, comforting the child.

"You will?" Kiera exclaimed as she happily looked up at the guard.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Do you know where you live?" Fred asked, hesitating a bit as he will be leaving his post for a long time.

"I think so." This was going to be a long night for the guard.

Meanwhile, as Fred walked out of the museum, a shadow sped past Messiah, alerting the guard.

"Who's there?" He called out, pulling out his sword going in a defensive stance.

"The two may be a bit stupid, but not enough to leave their posts unattended. One of them, most likely Fred, would check up on Kiera while Messiah stays inside. Once Fred is gone, Eugene would sneak in and steal the keys from Messiah. Make sure not to be seen, Eugene. We're entering from a different route. " Soul commanded.

"Aren't, there, other guards? Why not just knock the two out cold?" Eugene questioned.

"Nope! There are no other guards patrolling. I don't know why, but it's always just two guards every night. But everyone is prepared to back the two guards up with a sound of a bell, that's why we can't harm them or they'll alert the others."

Feeling someone sneak behind him, Messiah turned around only to find no one. Trembling slightly, the guard lowered his weapon a little, uneasiness and confusion written in his face. "I swear, I don't know why I chose this job." Seeing that no one was there, Messiah continued on doing his rounds as Eugene snuck out expertly while holding the keys.

"Still haven't lost my touch." The man proudly stated as he presented the keys to his group.

"Nice job, Eugene! Oh, this reminded me of the time Flynn Rider -" Varian was about to fanboy about his favorite novel series but was cut off by Soul clearing her throat. "Right, sorry."

"Lance, Catalina. You guys ready to do your part?" The astrologer asked. Lance and Catalina both nodded as they left.

"Lance, Catalina. Your job is to make sure that Messiah doesn't go near the temple's entrance. Be careful not to reveal yourselves. Catalina, if it's not too much to ask, make use of your werewolf form. It should keep Messiah distracted and scared enough to near the temple's entrance."

"Follow me!" Soul whisper shouted, beckoning for the remaining three to follow her. Their furry friends were not here this time as they were still tasked to keep the shadow from leaving the house.

The astrologer led the group to the back of the museum, uncovering some vines that revealed to be a broken window.

"How did you know about this?" Varian awed as he carefully entered through the broken window, hoping not to cut himself.

"The reason why I was circling the museum that one time." Soul answered as she grabbed a piece of paper in her satchel. " Also, the reason why I asked Eugene some thieving tricks." She added.

"You asked Eugene for what?!" Varian shrieked, pulling on his hair.

"Keep it down, Beaver Teeth." Soul ushered, as she opened the paper she was holding to reveal a layout of the place.

"Wow! That's is a highly detailed map. How did you get this, Soul?" Rapunzel asked as she took a peek over the girl's head, Soul, being much shorter than her.

"Oh, I let Hoots roam the museum one time. That owl is really smart, and I'm sort of thankful I taught him how to write." The girl answered as she marked down the halls they need to take to get to the entrance.

While walking, Eugene felt a bit uneasy as the halls were too quiet and, the moonlight shining from the windows made the atmosphere more eerie than serene. Gulping, he walked next to the lavender-haired girl, clearing his throat. "Are there any chances of us encountering a shadow creature?"

"Highly." Soul answered, not taking her eyes off the map, looking up only to see if they're going in the right direction.

"You're not even fazed?" Eugene gasped, staring at the girl.

"Why should I be?" She replied.

"Oh, geez, wel,l I don't know. Maybe it's because we may die??" Eugene snapped.

"Oh, yes, you will die. No doubt about it." A voice from the shadows spoke, alerting the four. Everyone pulled out their respective weapons. Eugene, a sword. Rapunzel, her frying pan. Varian, his alchemy gun, loading it with a few chemical compounds. And Soul with her own set of alchemy balls.

The figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing Antonio. Well, a shadow disguised as Antonio. His hair was blond instead of brown- A quite noticeable change.

"You're not going near the temple, filthy humans!" Antonio's double lunged at the group, revealing its sharp claws.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Eugene moved quickly, blocking the three from the shadow's claws with his sword. "You guys get going! I'll handle this." He shouted as he gave Soul the keys before continuing to fight the shadow.

"No!" Rapunzel shouted, about to run towards his fiance, but was stopped by Varian.

"It's too dangerous, princess. Let him handle this." Varian stated, holding Rapunzel in place.

"Eugene!" Soul shouted, throwing a vial to the man. Eugene almost didn't catch the vial, but thankfully he did.

"What's this?" He asked as he continued to dodge and strike at the shadow, aiming to tire it.

"Once it turns back into a shadow, pour that on your sword. !" Soul instructed before gesturing to Varian and Rapunzel to continue following her. Stopping for a bit, she looked back. "Eugene!"

"Kinda' busy here!" The ex-thief replied as he was pushed by the shadow. He rolled to the side just in time before the claws stabbed him. Eugene kicked the shadow's leg, knocking it down. 

"Be sure to make it back alive. And don't get caught!" The astrologer shouted before turning back and running to where the door to the temple is. 

Eugene stared at the girl's back, muttering a small "I will.", before focusing on his battle. The shadow got up from the ground, preparing to strike as the ex-thief went into a defensive stance. 

"Bring it, you demon!"

\------------------------------------------------------

"Here we are." Soul panted as she put a hand on the wall, leaning on it for support.

"Great, now let's go. The sooner we get the orb, the sooner we can save Eugene." Rapunzel said. Concern laced her tone, worried for her lover.

"Don't worry, Raps. Eugene will be fine. He's Flynn Rider!" Varian cheered, attempting to comfort his friend. The brunette smiled at the alchemist's words, nodding her head.

"Right! Now's not the time to be negative." She declared.

"That's the spirit!"

A loud squeak startled the two as they turned their heads at Soul, the door was already opened slightly with Soul almost out of breath as she leaned on the door.

"Help would have been nice." The astrologer said, slightly glaring at the two.

"Sorry. Are you okay?" Varian asked as he helped Soul open the door.

"You think?" Soul shot back, fully glaring at the boy.

"Easy, tiger." Varian shuddered.

Soul was about to say something when Rapunzel put a hand over the two teenager's mouths, signaling them to keep quiet. Footsteps reverberated the empty halls as the three tensed by the door.

"I swear, I heard a noise here." Messiah confusedly stated as he neared the door where Rapunzel, Varian, and Soul were. Before the guard went any further, Catalina's wolf form formed a shadow to where Messiah was instantly scaring off the guard back to where he came from. 

"Thanks, Catalina." Rapunzel thanked as the wolf gave them a thumbs up.

Looking at each other, the three entered the door, closing it behind them. The staircase was pitch black with no form of light to let them see where they were going, much like the staircase back in the entrance to the Crystal cave. Before going down further and sick of the darkness, Soul summoned her glowing butterflies, instantly lighting up the staircase.

"Well, then. Let's continue." Soul instructed, Varian and Rapunzel agreeing.


	23. Chapter 22: The Ruins of Libra

"Are all of the temples supposed to be underground?" Varian huffed as he panted, leaning on the wall for support. 

"You can't really blame it. The temples were built, thousands of years ago. It's expected that some would be 6 feet below." Soul answered, walking down the stairs.

Rapunzel, Soul, and Varian continued going down the stairs until they reached the bottom. The three were now in a spacious cavern, not as big as the one from the cave they entered before the crystal cave, but still spacious enough. If not for Soul's glowing butterflies, they would have been confused as to why there were no doors or cave entrances for them to enter to get to the temple.

"Look! There's something over there." Rapunzel pointed to a small opening on the side of the room. Walking closer, Rapunzel saw it was a scale with a rock on the left pan. In front of the scale were multiple orange rocks in different sizes. Looking up, she found that there were scriptures written in the same symbols that Varian found in Demanitus' journal. "It's a scale! And there's some scripture here too."

Walking to where the princess was, Varian examined the scripture before turning to the rocks. "I don't know what the scripture says, but it must have something to do with these rocks." He hypothesized, picking up one of the rocks.

"Scripture?" Soul confusedly asked as she walked to where the two were. 

"There." Rapunzel pointed. "Can you understand it, Soul?" The brunette inquired. 

Soul's eyes darted over the scripture, gasping softly as the symbols rearranged in her mind. No matter how many times this happened, Soul will forever be amazed at her ability to translate the Zodiac language.

"It says that, 'Balance is the key to everything. Without balance, everything will fall apart'. " She recited. 

"See? I was right. " Varian bragged, putting a hand on his chest. Rapunzel and Soul both rolled their eyes playfully at the alchemist before focusing on the scale.

"So, we balance the scale. It shouldn't be too hard." Soul stated as she picked up one of the rocks that seem similar in size as the one in the left pan holder, placing it on the right pan. However, it wasn't heavy enough to balance the scale. 

After testing all of the rocks, not one of them balanced the scale. They even tried putting two or three rocks to see if it would balance, but not of them worked.

"Okay, I was lying. It is hard." Soul admitted, sheepishly smiling. 

Rapunzel smiled a little at the astrologer when she spotted something orange inside of a small crack on the wall at the other side of the room. The brunette walked towards the wall, examining the crack. Grinning, Rapunzel reached for the rock when the ground shook and the ceiling suddenly lowering on them.

"What happened?" Rapunzel shouted, looking at Varian.

"NO! It's not me this time." He defended. Rapunzel looked at Soul, who was hiding her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry! I thought that if I replaced the rock in the left pan, then maybe it would balance. I didn't know this would happen!" The girl explained frantically, glaring at Varian, who was laughing at her. "This is not funny!"

"Now, you know how I feel." Varian laughed.

"Guys! Now's not the time to be fighting." Rapunzel hissed. Quickly grabbing the orange rock, she caught Varian's attention. "Varian! Catch!"

Raising his hands, Varian successfully caught the rock. The alchemist started to duck as the ceiling had already reached his head.

"Soul, hurry! Balance the scale." He commanded, giving the smaller girl the rock. Soul nodded, as she quickly placed the rock she took from the pan on the left, and when she was about to place the rock Varian gave her, the ceiling already on top of her head, pushing her down.

"Hurry!" Rapunzel grunted, attempting to prolong the ceiling lowering on them, giving the girl more time to do what she needs to do. 

Soul struggled to reach the scale, stretching her hand out, but she couldn't reach the scale anymore. Looking at the rock, then back at the pan, she formed an idea in her head. I hope this works. Letting out a breath, Soul closed her other eye, aiming at the pan before throwing the rock.

Soul furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at the pan, hoping that she made the shot right. Hearing a soft clink, the scale was balanced, and the ceiling slowly went back up to its original position.

"Phew, that was really close." Rapunzel breathed. Relieved, that they weren't squished by the ceiling.

"So, what happens now?" Varian asked as he stood up and dusted himself. Right on time, the wall next to where the scale was, opened, light seeping out ,revealing the ruins of Libra's temple.

"Woah!" They awed, as their eyes went wide.

The three went outside to where the temple is. Soul looked up and saw the walls of Scales Museum surrounding the cliff where the temple is.

"Libra's temple....was never hidden, but it's out in the open in the middle of the museum." She said as she looked at the ruins of the temple. "Come on, we better hurry."

Entering the ruins, the three walked over, under, and around some fallen debris before arriving at the throne room. The throne room wasn't recognizable at first, but the worn-out banner of Libra's symbol and the pedestal in the middle of the room gave it away.

"Only a few more minutes before Libra shines over the pedestal." Soul announced when they heard footsteps coming behind them.

"Well, I didn't think you would make it this far." A woman's voice spoke. Turning to look at the person, they saw it was a woman and, Soul recognized her as Samuel's boss.

"She's Samuel's boss." Soul told the two.

"Yes, I am. And I know Samuel told you that you are not allowed to come here, right?" She questioned.

"We need to do this. Zhan Tiri is also after the orbs. Please, we just want to save the world." Rapunzel pleaded. Soul shot the princess a look, but Rapunzel ignored her and continued to beg the woman to let them take the orb.

Clara evilly laughed at the brunette, a glint in her eyes as she stared at the three. "I would say yes and let you guys take the orb. But, my master needs it more." 

Rapunzel, Soul, and Varian gasped as the woman let summoned a shadow sword before lunging at the three.

"Scatter!" Rapunzel instructed as the three dodged the woman, scattering around the room.

Varian readied his alchemy gun, aiming at the woman. Pulling the trigger the alchemy ball almost hit Clara's double, but the shadow's reflexes were fast as she sliced the ball in half. Its contents, spilling on the floor. Varian's face fell as Clara now lunged at him. Varian ran and somehow managed to trap himself in a corner.

"Varian!" The shadow was about to slice Varian when Rapunzel threw a rock at the double, distracting it, letting Varian escape. "Are you alright?" The princess asked the teen.

"I'm fine." He answered. " Where's Soul?" Looking around, the alchemist spotted the lavender-haired girl hiding behind a column near the pedestal. "Raps, we need to divert the shadow's attention to us so Soul can get the orb."

Nodding, Rapunzel ran to the other side, throwing more rocks at the double. "Hey! Over here!" She provoked. 

"That petty plan of yours won't work. The orbs are what I need, and I see that it's not on either of you but with that girl." Clara's double stated, before lunging at the unsuspecting Soul.

"There you are!" Gasping loudly, Soul dodged the sword coming at her. 

"Oh, no, Soul!" Varian screamed as he saw the shadow chasing the girl.

"Praemium!" Soul shouted, gesturing to the column. The column exploded, but the shadow dodged and continued to chase Soul. "Accenderet!" At her words, a small fire began to form out of her hands, shooting it towards the double. The double gasped, dodging the fire before continuing to pursue the astrologer.

While running, Soul accidentally tripped on a rock, falling on the ground. 

"I got you now!" The double shouted. Soul attempted to stand up but failed as she hurt her ankle when she fell. 

"Stay away from me!" Soul shouted, protecting her satchel.

Laughing. The shadow raised its sword above its head, "Say bye-bye~."

Soul screamed , closing her eyes and shielding herself using her arms as the shadow brought down its sword at her, waiting for the impact. Trembling, Soul was confused as to why she was not dead yet, not that she wanted to die. Soul opened her eyes and saw a forcefield was surrounding her, protecting her from the sword.

"What? What is this?!" The shadow wondered as it continued to force its sword through the forcefield.

While the shadow was distracted with the forcefield, Varian through a chem ball at the shadow. The chem ball hit the shadow, exploding. The shadow screamed as it turned back to its shadow form, screaming agonizingly as the light burned it, dispersing the shadow.

"Soul! Are you alright?" He worriedly asked as he went to the girl, checking her if she had any other injuries.

"I'm fine. But, I hurt my ankle. Still, I'm fine." Soul stated as Varian helped her up. "Oh, no! Raps, take the orb, hurry!"

"Got it!" Rushing towards the pedestal, Rapunzel took the now visible orb as it glowed brightly. After glowing, Libra's symbol flashed as it cascaded into orange sparkles. 'Woah! Did this also happen when you guys took Leo and Virgo's orb?" Rapunzel asked.

"Yeah, sort of." Varian answered as he helped Soul walk towards the pedestal. 

"Why did you bring Soul here? I could have just given her the orb. She's already hurt!" The princess scolded. 

Varian was about to explain when Soul spoke up instead. "It isn't his fault. I asked him to." 

"Why?" Rapunzel questioned, raising a brow. Soul didn't say anything as she gestured to the crystal rose in front of her. "That wasn't there before."

"These flowers hold memories inside them. Though, only the person who touches them can see those memories." The astrologer explained. "May I?"

"Go ahead."

Sighing, Soul touched the flower and, her surroundings faded to blue, signaling the start of a memory being played.

Soul was at the same spot she was in, when two people fell from the cliff. It looked like they came from above the museum and entered the temple from there. 

Taking a closer look, it was the same people from the memories Soul watched in Leo and Virgo's temple. 

"Wisteria, Igneous, stop!" A voice called. The two figures turned to look at the person who spoke, and a person who Soul knew stepped out from the darkness. "Why do you need to use the stardust so badly? You know its powers are too much. That's why Merlin hid them all and assigned some protectors to guard the orbs."

"Samuel?" Soul whispered. The Aradian man looked about eight years younger in the memory. "So, he does know something!"

"Samuel, you must understand. We need to save our daughter. The queen of Corona used the Sundrop, why can't we use the stardust?" The taller one, Igneous, Soul guessed, protested.

"Please, Samuel. We love our daughter very much. We would do anything for her. Please, let us do this." The smaller one, Wisteria, begged,

Samuel looked hesitant when a hand was placed on his shoulder. 

"It's alright. Let them." It was the person the shadow was disguised as earlier Samuel's boss.

"Thank you so much, Clara. We owe our baby's life to you two." Wisteria thanked, crying a little. Clara just smiled at them, watching as Igneous took the orb.

"We'll be going now. Thank you so much." Igneous stated as he and Wisteria were about to use the route they took earlier.

"You know, you guys can use the stairs, right?" Clara smugly said. "Come on. It's much safer using this route."

As the four entered the cave that was connected to the museum, Soul stared at the two figures. Not once had she seen their faces. But at least now she knows their names, and for some reason, their names sounded familiar to her.

Suddenly, Soul's surroundings turned back to normal, and Rapunzel and Varian are now beside her. 

"So, what did you see?" Varian asked.

"I'll tell you guys later. Right now, let's get out of here. The sun would be rising soon and, we need to help Eugene and the others. Plus, I suddenly have a headache." The astrologer instructed, holding her head. Varian and Rapunzel looked at each other before Varian picked up Soul, carrying her. "What are you doing?" 

"You're injured. It would only slow us down if you continue to walk. So don't complain." Varian replied, his cheeks red, but luckily it was dark enough for it not to be visible. 

'Fine." Soul responded as she took the orb from Rapunzel and putting it in her bag.

"Alright then! Let's go." Rapunzel announced as they entered the cave, making Soul conjure more of her glowing butterflies to light up the dark staircase.


	24. Chapter 23: Ancestors

Finally, out of the staircase room and now in the hallways, Rapunzel and Varian sneaked down the halls to where Eugene was, with Soul on the alchemist's back, cautious of not being seen. Going left, the three hid behind a wall as Rapunzel readied her frying pan before jumping out to see no one.

"Where's Eugene?" The brunette asked panicking. The hallway where the ex-thief and Antonio's shadow double fought was empty, leaving no traces of where Eugene is.

"Maybe he defeated the shadow and went to look for Samuel and Clara?" Soul hypothesized as she was let down by Varian, attempting to calm the princess.

"But, what if he's not - did you two hear that?" Rapunzel was about to say something when she heard a noise from outside. The three stopped talking for a while and stood still to listen to what the brunette heard.

"You are under arrest!"

"NO! NO! NO! I swear you guys got it all wrong!"

"Wait, that's Eugene's voice!" Rapunzel exclaimed, quite relieved that her lover is safe but worried as she heard Eugene is going to be arrested. "He's going to get arrested! We have to save him."

"You two! For destroying private property and almost killing this poor man, you will be sent to prison with that trespasser!" Peeking out the window, Varian caught a glimpse of a city guard sending Catalina and Lance to a prison carriage.

"Oh, no! They got Lance and Catalina as well." He informed with a worried tone.

Hearing footsteps and the talking of two more guards heading their way, Varian quickly scooped Soul up while gesturing to Rapunzel to follow him. Running to a corridor that Varian spotted when they entered earlier, they hid behind a column waiting for the guards to pass.

"I know I heard someone here." A guard said, looking around. Varian peeked a little but quickly ducked down as the guard turned to look at where they were.

"I'm pretty sure there's no one here." The other guard stated, shrugging his shoulders. The former put a finger up while slowly walking to where the three were hiding.

Rapunzel, Varian, and Soul tensed up, holding their breath until another guard came and distracted the two who were on to them.

"Hey, you two. The captain wants to see you." The guard who was close to the three stood straight, following his fellow guard.

After making sure that the guards were gone, Soul and her friends released their breath, smiling at each other.

"That was awfully close." Rapunzel commented, nervously chuckling.

"Really close. I told you not to look back, Beaver Teeth!" Soul scolded, staring sternly at the alchemist, who shyly rubbed his nape.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" A voice asked behind their back. Jumping back, Soul realized that there was a door right behind them and the voice must have come from inside.

"Did any of you notice the door?" She asked. Varian and Rapunzel shook their heads as Soul walked closer to the door, much to Varian's protests.

"Hello???" The voice asked again.

"As I said, there's no one going to help us! We don't even know where we are." Another voice spoke negatively.

"Well, do you have any other plans? Huh, Clara?" The voice earlier sassily shot back to the one named Clara.

"Samuel?" Soul asked to the door. The voices stopped talking as Soul was met with silence. "Samuel, Clara? Is that you?" She asked again, and again she was ignored. Until...

"SOUL!" The voice screamed, startling Soul, who stepped back but accidentally using her injured foot, falling down.

"Ahhhh!" She screamed, waiting for the impact but closed her mouth when she didn't fall.

"Are you alright?" Rapunzel asked, looking at the girl in her arms. Soul nodded as the brunette helped the lavender-haired girl to her feet.

"Soul, was that you who screamed? ARE YOU OKAY?" Samuel screamed behind the door.

"Yeah, and she's fine!" Varian answered for the girl.

"Oh, Varian! You're here too! I mean, I should have expected that since I noticed that you and Soul were always together. Were you two on a date?" The alchemist blushed at the man's statement, shaking his head. 

"No! We were not. In fact, we're here because we were looking for you." Varian exclaimed.

"How did they find us?" Clara wondered from inside the locked room.

"Varian, get out of the way! Samuel, step away from the door!" Soul instructed, placing her hands in front of her. The alchemist let out a squeak, running next to Rapunzel, while Samuel stepped back confusedly as he did not know what the girl was planning.

"Accenderet!" She shouted as fire shot out of her hands, slightly melting the metal door, much to Samuel and Clara's surprise. 

Seeing that the door was now softer than before, Samuel was about to kick the door when Varian beat him to it.

"Um, sorry." The alchemist sheepishly apologized.

"Where were we?" Clara asked as she exited the room. At the sight of the column next to the door, the black-haired woman's eye twitched in annoyance. "So, I was locked inside the museum for almost a month?"

"You were stuck in there for a month?" Rapunzel gasped.

"Yeah, at least, Samuel said it was a month. It's a good thing that those shadows still gave us food." The woman answered, shrugging.

"So, um can you help us now? Our friends are about to get sent to jail and we hope you can help us since you're the owner of the museum?" Soul requested, trailing off.

Clara turned to look at the small girl, seeing the resemblance of her old friends. "I'm not technically the owner, but sure! I'll help you guys." Clara replied, smiling at the girl with a sad look in her eyes.

Hearing the black-haired woman's answer, Rapunzel jumped in glee as she tackled the woman in a hug. "Thank you so much!"

"I suggest you let me go if you don't want to end up having a black eye." Clara threatened, causing Rapunzel to instantly let go. "I'm only helping you guys because this adorable girl asked me to. If it weren't for her, I could care less of your friends." She asserted as she went over to the lavender-haired girl, squishing her cheeks and hugging her.

"I can't breathe!" Soul wheezed as she was being hugged by the older woman.

"Oh, sorry!" Clara apologized, patting Soul's head.

"Is she always like this?" Varian quietly asked Samuel. The man just shrugged, watching the two interact.

"Not really. I guess Soul just reminded her of a good friend from before." Samuel answered.

"She's...nice?" Rapunzel complimented unsurely.

"Don't try so hard, princess. She'll warm up to you. Eventually."

\---------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure, Miss Clara?" A guard asked uncertainly as he opened the cell containing Eugene, Catalina, and Lance.

"Yeah, let them out." Clara confirmed, bored.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel happily shouted, jumping in the ex-thief's arms.

"Sunshine! I'm so glad you're okay." Eugene replied, hugging his lover.

"Catalina, Lance!" Kiera shouted as she entered the guard station with Fred.

"Wait, I thought you were looking for your mother?" Fred questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, um. I know these two as well." Kiera answered. Fred just shrugged, exiting the station.

"Samuel! You're okay." Lance exclaimed as he hugged the blond man.

"Hah! It would take more than just being kidnapped to kill me." Samuel boasted, pointing at himself.

"You were crying and screaming and breaking down almost everyday." Clara revealed, smirking smugly.

"Clara!" Samuel yelled. His face, as red as a tomato. The two's interactions made Soul laugh a little.

"Aww!! You're so adorable. You should smile more." Clara cooed. 

"Um, I'll try?" Soul mumbled, her cheeks pink. Remembering what she saw in the memory, Soul looked at Clara. "Samuel, Clara, can I ask you two something?"

"You can ask me anything, little star!" Clara's nickname seemed familiar to Soul, but the astrologer shrugged it off.

"Sure, ask away." Samuel agreed.

"I saw the memory in the crystal flowers." Clara and Samuel looked at each other, already knowing what the girl was going to ask as they prepared their answer. "What did you mean by Merlin assigning protectors to guard the orbs?"

The two slowly blinked, not expecting the girl's question as they dreaded she would ask about Wisteria and Igneous.

"We'll explain at my house. It's too dangerous to talk about it here." Samuel suggested. Soul looked confused but agreed nonetheless.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you guys sure that shadow Samuel is gone?" Varian asked as Samuel opened the door to his house. 

"Woah! What happened to you guys?" The Aradian man gasped as he was greeted by Ruddiger, Pascal, Flick, and Sir Hoots-a-lot, who were panting and their bodies painted with small wounds.

"Flick! Hoots!" Soul worriedly shouted, seeing her pets injured. Flick whimpered as Soul limply walked to the fox, picking him up and placing him on her lap. Hoots hooted quietly as he perched himself on his owner's shoulder, snuggling in her warmth. "My babies, what happened to you?"

"Ruddiger. Hang in there, buddy." Varian said softly, as he rummaged through his satchel, looking for something.

"Pascal, are you alright?" Rapunzel asked as she picked the chameleon in her hand. Pascal wasn't as injured as the other three, but he was still a bit weak. Pascal squeaked as if saying he was alright, much to Rapunzel's relief.

"Aha! I found it." Varian declared, holding up a vial with light green liquid inside. "Drink this, bud." He instructed, placing the opening of the vial to the raccoon's mouth. Ruddiger drank the liquid, and in a matter of seconds, the raccoon was up and much livelier than when they first found them.

"Varian, give me Ruddiger. He might have regained his strength back, but his injuries are still open. Pascal too." Soul stated. Varian and Rapunzel did as the astrologer told, placing their pets next to the fox and owl.

Soul held her hands over the animals, "Sana Statim." She said as white light appeared on her hands, healing the animal's injuries. "I would have done this to myself, but this spell only works on external injuries. It doesn't heal cramps and sprains." she informed.

Varian and Rapunzel thanked the girl, as the former helped her up as she is still injured.

"So, who'll be telling the story?" Samuel asked, clasping his hands together after seeing that the pets are all healed, sitting on the sofa. 

"Not it." Clara shouted as she picked Soul up, sitting on the chair and placing the astrologer on her lap, cuddling her much to the girl's embarrassment. 

"Fine. Alright, listen up. Now, you guys might be wondering why nobody else knows about the stardust and the Zodiacs' orbs?" Sam inquired.

"Xavier knows about it." Varian responded, petting Ruddiger. 

"Of course, Xavier. Well, can't blame the man. He was my grandfather's friend before he moved to Corona. Grandpa must have told him about the orbs." The man stated. 

"Then why does nobody else know about them?" Lance asked.

"Now, this is where I begin explaining." Clearing his throat, Samuel started. "Long time ago when Merlin's experiment backfired and put him into a state of coma as his spirit wandered off to space. As years passed by, Merlin knew he was dying, and he wished to be saved. That's when the stars answered his call. Merlin doesn't know it at the time, but his spirit wandered off to the celestial plane where the Zodiacs are. Anyways, the stars granted his wish using the stardust. Merlin woke up, back in his physical body when the Zodiacs wisited him. They informed the man that they will give him the stardust as a gift and that Merlin was welcome to use it anytime but his wishes are limited to five, and that he cannot wish to bring back the dead as that would need an equal exchange. After using the stardust about two times. Merlin realized that the stardust was too powerful, and he asked the Zodiacs to take it back but the they couldn't take it back so, instead, they created 12 orbs each and established a rule that if anyone wants to use the stardust, they would need to find the Zodiacs' orbs first." He explained.

"So, that was the full story." Soul commented as she shyly pulled away from Clara's hold. "But what does this have to do with the protectors and stuff?"

"Well, the only people who know about the orbs were Merlin's loyal students. Luckily, he has a lot of them. He assigned three protectors to each of the orbs. Over time, the protectors grew in numbers as the students grew their own family." Samuel further explained.

"Samuel and I's ancestors were the protectors of Libra's orb. That's why we know about the temple." Clara stated.

"If the orbs have protectors, how come Leo and Virgo's temple didn't have a protector." Rapunzel questioned, raising a brow.

"Well, Virgo's protectors died off around the same time her temple got destroyed. And Leo's protectors left as the jungle was too dangerous, but they did leave a lion trap there." Samuel answered.

"Wait!" Varian shouted as everyone turned to look at the black-haired alchemist. "You said only the descendants of the protectors and the students know about the orbs. How come Soul knows about them, let alone have a book about them?" He queried as he gestured to the lavender-haired girl on Clara's lap.

"Yeah, how come Soul knows?" Kiera agreed.

Clara and Samuel looked at each other, giving each other a knowing look.

"It seems Soul's parents were descendants as well. Either they were protectors or students, Soul comes from a family whose ancestors served Merlin." Clara answered, glancing at the side.

Soul looked at the ground as she struggled to find any memory of her parents in her mind. She found it awfully weird. Soul knew that she interacted with her parents when she was younger, but she doesn't remember anything about them. Their names, their faces. Nothing. Gold never told her anything either. Every time she would ask, Gold would either refuse to say anything or ignore her. That's why over time, she gave up asking about them.

"Are you alright, Soul?" Eugene softly asked.

"I'm fine. In fact, I feel a bit better now that I know something about my parents. I don't remember much of them, and my brother never told me anything. So, knowing this information makes me feel good." Soul answered, smiling.

Clara bit her lip, wanting to explain everything to the girl but held back as it was not her place to tell her the huge secret that would change the girl's life forever. 

"Wait, did your brother allow you to come with the princess?" Samuel confusedly asked. Surely if her brother knew what happened, he wouldn't let Soul come with the princess to gather the orbs.

"My brother died two years ago." Soul replied with a sad tone. Samuel bit the inside of his cheek, mumbling a small apology.

Everyone was silent for a while until Rapunzel broke the silence. "So, who's the next Zodiac we're going to?" She asked.

Soul grabbed her map from her satchel when Clara noticed the orbs inside the bag.

"I only saw the orbs twice before. I forgot how beautiful they are." She breathed out before looking at the astrologer sternly. "You better take care of yourself. You might have magic, but you're still a child. "

"I will." Soul reassured as she opened the map, scanning the paper. "Scorpio's next."

"Scorpio's temple is in Maihara Desert. Where's your route?" Samuel queried, leaning on his chin on his hand.

"I was thinking of going through Firefly Forest and-"

"That would take you longer. I suggest taking the Stone Underpass. It's a bit dangerous, but it's the quickest route towards the desert. Scorpio's peak is on August 1. Trust me. You won't make it in time if you went through Firefly Forest." He instructed, cutting off Soul.

"Well, then. We better get going. We have a desert to visit." Eugene declared, standing up. Everyone also stood up, agreeing with the man.

"We'll help you guys pack up, and we'll lead you to where your caravan is." Clara stated.

"Thank you so much for your help! We really appreciate it." Rapunzel beamed. 

Clara clicked her tongue. "I'm doing this for Soul."

"Right, still, thank you." The brunette replied, sheepishly.

"Come on. You need to get back on the road as soon as possible."

\---------------------------------------------

"Bye, Samuel! Bye, Clara! Thank you for your hospitality!" Soul shouted, waving her hands as she bid goodbye to the two.

"Bye! Have a safe journey!" Clara shouted back. "Not like you need it." She whispered the last part.

"You know Soul is the only one protected by the stardust, right?" Samuel asked, raising a brow at the woman beside him.

"I know. But I only care about Soul."

"You're unbelievable."


	25. Chapter 24: A Possible Clue?

Soul stayed on the roof even after Samuel and Clara can't be seen anymore, taking in the sight of the City of Aradia. The first city she stepped foot on, slowly disappearing into the distance. A lot has happened in their stay in the city, both memorable and somehow traumatizing events. But Soul is sure about one thing, and that is she will cherish these newly created memories forever.

"Hey, get down from there! You're gonna hurt your foot even more." Varian scolded from inside the caravan. "How did you even get up there?"

Peaking from the trapdoor, Soul answered. "I climbed."

Varian facepalmed at the girl's answer, groaning. "What am I going to do with you?" He rhetorically asked.

"Relax. If it makes you feel better, I'll come down now." Soul said as positioned herself on the ladder, stepping down slowly.

"Thank you!" Soul rolled her eyes as she climbed down. However, the heavens seemed to hate her at the moment as Soul accidentally missed a step, forcing her to put too much pressure on her left foot where her ankle was sprained, causing her to lose her footing on the ladder.

"Watch out!" Rapunzel yelled as Varian rushed to catch her just in time before she hit the floor. "This is what I was talking about!" He nagged as he set the girl down on her claimed couch/bed. Soul winced a bit as she stretched her leg on the couch. Flick whimpered as he jumped on his owner's stomach.

"Oof! Flick, give me a warning next time." Soul grunted, petting the fox who snuggled in her hold.

"Let me check your foot." Lance offered. The burly man sat on the edge of the couch as he gently took the girl's left foot, examining it. "Yeah, that's a nasty sprain, alright." He commented.

"It was already bad enough before she fell off the ladder." Varian nagged, folding his arms as he sat on the other couch beside the door across Soul.

"It was an accident. Not like I wanted to fall off the ladder." Soul defended, wincing as Lance poked her ankle. "Ow!"

"Oh, sorry." Lance apologized as he placed the girl's foot back down on the couch, standing up. "Anyways, you have to stay in bed, well couch, until that sprain of yours is healed." He instructed as he sternly looked at her. "Understood?"

"But I'm fine! See?" Soul shakily stood up, sighing in relief as she successfully stood up straight. "I'm fine! I don't need to stay in bed."

"Why don't you walk here, then?" Kiera challenged, smirking.

The astrologer looked at the other side of the caravan where Kiera and Catalina were. It won't be a long walk. This caravan might be bigger than other caravans, but it's still a small room. Soul confidently walked towards the girls, but alas, it was not the astrologer's day to keep her pride high as the caravan passed through a bumpy road, shaking the vehicle a bit. Soul stumbled a little as she accidentally put all of her weight on her left foot, and like static, the pain jolted right up from her foot to her whole body as let out a scream of pain, falling on the floor.

"Yeah, you're not fine." Rapunzel chuckled as she helped the lavender-haired girl up, letting Soul use her as a support as the brunette guided her back to her couch.

"I am fine, it just hurt." Soul said with a huff.

"Just stop, Soul. It's clear that you're in pain. Listen to Lance so you could recover faster. You're an important asset in this quest. From what I researched, sprains usually last a week or three, depends on how its treated. We have less than three weeks until we get to Maihara desert, which means you have to get that ankle of yours recovered by then." Varian stated as he stood from his seat and walked in front of Soul. A slight authoritative aura surrounded him. 

"But, I can't just sit here while you guys do everything. I need to do my part of the chores." The girl protested.

"It's fine. A few weeks won't hurt anyone, and besides, you have a good reason for not doing it. I agree with Varian and Lance. You should rest, Soul." Rapunzel said with a small smile, agreeing with the other two.

"In the meantime, if you need something, you could ask Varian to do it for you!" Lance happily declared. Varian looked at his friend as if he had three heads.

"What?" Soul and Varian asked at the same time, but with different tones and expressions. Varian said it with in a surprised tone, his eyes wide and eyebrows raised. While, Soul said it in an amused tone, as she playfully glanced at the alchemist.

"What? No! Why me?" Varian questioned.

"Well, after that small speech of yours, why not?" Lance explained, shrugging his shoulders. "Plus, you can use this as an opportunity to get closer to her." Whispering the last part so that Varian's the only one who can hear it.

The alchemist stared at the man with disbelief. His cheeks red were as he sputtered out gibberish protests, making Rapunzel and Soul look at each other, wondering what Lance told the boy.

"Now, are you okay with that Soul?" Lance asked the girl.

"Yep!" Soul happily answered.

"Don't I get a say in this?"

"Nope!"

"UGH!"

\-----------------------------------------------------------

It was lunchtime, and everyone else was outside except for Varian and Soul. Soul already finished eating and was now feeding Hoots and Flick while, Varian was busy working on something on the table with Ruddiger munching on an apple on his shoulder.

Bored of watching her pets eat, Soul's eyes darted to the alchemist's back, wondering what he was doing. Shifting in her seat, Soul attempted to stand up when Varian flicked a small paper on the girl's forehead.

"Don't even dare to stand up." He stated, glaring at her.

"I'm bored! What do you expect me to do?" Soul shouted, throwing her hands up as she laid her legs back, stretching them on the couch.

"Didn't you bring something to entertain yourself in that big rucksack of yours? Aside from Rapunzel and I, You're the third one who brought huge luggage." Varian asked as he went back to what he was working on.

"I did. But it's a telescope, and I can't use that now, can I?" The astrologer sassily responded, crossing her arms.

"What about that book you were reading before. Why don't you finish it?" 

"That book is not a novel of some sort. It's the book I used to pinpoint the Zodiac temples -"

"Wait!" Varian shouted, startling Soul and the eating animals on the ground.

"What?" Soul questioned, wondering what got the boy to perk up.

"Back up, you said that the book you were reading was the one you used to locate the temples and the one you used to know more about the zodiacs?" He queried as he walked closer to the girl.

"Um, yeah, why?" Soul replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't you remember what Samuel said? That only the descendants of Merlin's followers know about the Zodiacs' temples? Soul, what if that book contains any clue about your parents or your family?" Varian excitedly hypothesized as he shook the girl's shoulders.

Soul's eyes widen in realization as she grabbed her rucksack from beneath the couch, searching for the book she used to read along with another book.

"You know, I just remembered that these books aren't mine." She stated as she flipped the first book open. "Brother told me that these used to belong to our parents. He said that these are the only memories we have left of them."

"What are these books?" Varian asked as he grabbed the other book Soul took, titled, 'A journey in the road', sitting on the edge of the couch. Varian flipped the book open, reading some of the writings inside. 

"I believe these were their journal from when they were traveling. Brother did use to say that they left home to travel. Maybe they documented what they encountered." The astrologer answered as she read the book about the Zodiacs.

"Hey, Soul. I think you should see this." Soul looked at Varian as the alchemist held out the book to her pointing to a specific line.

"At last, we now know where limren ihd het drusarts. We must seek to find it for the sake of-----"

"The ink is scrubbed off?" Soul asked as she flipped the page to its back, squinting her eyes, trying to see if there would be traces of what the rest of the sentence says before noticing that most of the pages in the journal were ripped off. "Some pages are also torn off."

Nodding, Varian took the book off the girl's hands, flipping the pages before stopping and handing the book back. "And here, there are traces of something, being written on top of this page. I checked if it was only a mark from the writings of the page before this, but the words are completely different from what was written here."

"To be honest, I never really read this book before. That's why I brought it with me. Who knew this book contained so many secrets and mystery." Soul admitted as she closed the book, placing it beside her.

"Do you think your parents' death has something to do with the Zodiacs?" Varian asked as he stared at the girl. 

Soul shook her head, breathing out a sigh. "I don't know. And even if it does, I don't know what to do." She said honestly. "But I do think it's quite mysterious that they didn't want everybody to know why they left and how they died. Strangely, they took the time to erase their tracks."

"And why you and your brother never left the forest." Varian added.

"Yeah." Soul mumbled. 

The two went silent as they watched Ruddiger and Flick play with each other while Sir Hoots-a-lot circled them. Varian glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye, noticing her sad expression. The alchemist's eyes wandered around the room, thinking of a way to cheer the girl up as his vision landed on her guitar in her rucksack.

"Hey." He called, catching the attention of the lavender-haired girl. "Can you play the guitar?"

"Don't you know the answer to that by now? After all, you and the princess were spying on me at that time." Soul replied, smirking at the alchemist's flustered state. 

"Hehe, w-what are you talking about?" Varian stuttered, scratching the back of his head.

"I don't mind the princess watching me. In fact, that would be such a huge honor. But you? Why were you spying on me, hmm?" Soul prodded, giving the alchemist a teasing look as she leaned closer.

Varian's face heated up, and his hands started fidgeting as he tried to find the words to explain what they were doing at that time. After enjoying the boy's attempts to explain, Soul laughed out loud, holding her stomach as small tears escaped her eyes.

"I'm just teasing! You should see your face right now." She laughed. Varian calmed down a little, but the blush on his face remained as he looked at the laughing girl beside him. "You're so easy to tease."

"I'm not! And that was accidental. We weren't spying on you. We were looking for you." He argued now that he could form words without stuttering.

"You guys already found me, yet you continued to watch." Soul smugly said.

"Well, that's just us not being rude to disturb you." Varian replied, crossing his arms as he fully sat down and leaned his back on the couch, not noticing Soul's foot behind him.

"Ow!" Soul cried as Varian's back hit her foot.

"Oh, my Demanitus! I'm so sorry, are you alright?" Varian worriedly asked as he instantly stood up.

"You know, you were assigned to me to help me recover faster, not to make my injury worse!" Soul snapped.

"I'm sorry! It was my fault, uh, let me go get some ice for that." He stated as he rushed to the table where his belongings are. After rummaging through his bag, he brought out a vial with light blue liquid. He took a glass of water as well before walking back to the couch.

"What's that?" Soul asked.

"In contrast to my previous compound that can heat up a tank of water, this compound can freeze water instantly. Alchemy!" He proudly explained as he poured a drop of the compound in the glass of water, and in a matter of seconds, the water slowly froze, creating ice. "Voila!"

"Woah! In terms of alchemy, you're much better than me." Soul complimented as Varian placed the ice on the girl's foot, making Soul slightly wince from the cold.

"Of course, I'm the best alchemist there is." He bragged. Soul only rolled her eyes at the boy as she watched him tend to her foot.


	26. Chapter 25: What Happens after Lights Out

(The animals would be talking in human speech. However, if someone were to hear them communicating, it would sound how the animal actually sounds.)

It was currently midnight, and everyone was sound asleep. Ruddiger shifted in his sleep, his tail landing on Varian's nose, to which the boy groggily removed the raccoon's tail before turning to his left side. In the dark, bright yellow eyes seemed to glow on top of a shelf. Flapping its wings, it flew over to the couch that Soul was sleeping on, using its wings to poke a certain fox.

"Wake up." Hoots hooted as he poked Flick. The fox lowly growled as he swatted the owl's wing with his tail. Hoots glared at his friend, resuming to poke the fox.

Flick finally had enough as he pounced on the owl. He was about to bark at Hoots when the owl made a gesture with his wing, "Shhhh. Be quiet!" Hoots whispered as he pointed at their owner, who was peacefully sleeping. Flick gritted his teeth as he got off the owl, scratching behind his ear. 

Hoots then flew over to the bedside table between the girls and Rapunzel's bed, where Pascal was.

"Pascal." He hooted, waking the chameleon up.

Pascal rubbed his eyes as he groggily stared at the owl. "What?" The chameleon asked, sleep still clouding over him.

"It's time." The chameleon instantly perked up as he determinedly stared at the owl. "Quick, hop on before the sun rises." 

"Right!" Pascal jumped on the owl's back as they flew to where Flick was.

"Hey, buddy! Wake up!" Flick softly barked as he poked the raccoon. "He's always like this!" He complained. Pascal and Hoots looked at each other, rolling their eyes at the fox before Pascal positioned himself next to the raccoon.s ear. "Is he going to do what I think he's gonna do?" Flick asked with a disturbed tone.

"On your mark, Pascal. Ready, Set, Go!" At the owl's signal, Pascal stuck his tongue in the raccoon.s ear, startling Ruddiger.

"Eww! Pascal, what was that for?" He chittered angrily.

"Uggghhh.." Lance groaned. The four animals froze in their spot as they watched Lance sit up and look at them. "Awww, how cute." The man simply said before falling back asleep.

The four sighed in relief as Flick, Hoots, and Pascal glared at the raccoon.

"You're always the last to wake up. Can't you like, try not to sleep too deeply?" Flick said, raising a paw.

"I can't help it!" Ruddiger replied, scratching his head.

"Enough chittering and yapping. Let's go." Hoots declared as he flew to the ceiling where the trapdoor to the roof was. Pascal opened the trapdoor, and the four animals exited the caravan.

Once outside, Flick and Ruddiger raced each other as they ran through the open field with Pascal riding on Hoots' back. The four explored the land before them, careful not to stray too far from where the caravan was parked. It was a good thing Pascal and Hoots were good at memorizing landmarks. If not, they would probably, be lost by now. 

The four arrived at a creek in a small forest they entered. Staring at the water, Flick smirked as he splashed some water on the raccoon, making Ruddiger jump back when the water hit his fur. Flick laughed loudly as he clapped his paws together. Ruddiger glared at the fox, devising a plan on how to get back at his mischievous friend. The raccoon's eyes landed on a muddy puddle beside the creek, smirking.

"You're gonna' regret doing that. You know that, right, Flick?" Pascal asked from beside Hoots, who was perched on top of a tree branch.

"I will regret nothing. What can Ruddiger do that's much worse?" As the fox said those words, a pile of mud was thrown at him, his orange fur now painted brown.

"Take that!" Ruddiger shouted as he picked up another handful of mud, readying to throw it at the fox. Flick's eyes widen, his ears falling down on his head as Ruddiger threw the mud at him.

"Woah!" Flick yelled as he barely dodged the muddy ball the raccoon made. "I threw water at you! Water! And I receive mud? Come on, buddy!" Flick barked, throwing his paws up in the air.

"Never mess with a raccoon." Ruddiger stated as he threw more mudballs at the fox. Flick struggled to dodge the muddy balls. His fur, turning to an even darker brown from all the mud he failed to dodge. Looking at the raccoon, Flick was surprised to see Ruddiger with a catapult. "HIyaaa!" The raccoon let out a battle cry as he catapulted a bigger ball made of mud at the fox.

"Oh, boy." Flick whimpered as he stared at the upcoming mudball.

SPLAT!

"Oof!" Hoots said, scrunching his face in disgust.

"Yikes." Pascal commented, grimacing.

"HAHAHAHAHAAH! Eat that!" Ruddiger laughed, dancing around the fox.

Flick deadpanned at the raccoon as he wiped off the mud on his face with his paws. "Are you sure you've won?" He asked the raccoon.

"Of course I've won! Being with Varian taught me a lot of things, and my calculations are perfect." The raccoon bragged. However, the happy smile on his face vanished as he felt something wet on his fur.

Flick was now free from the wet mud that covered his fur as he shook his body like he would do if he were drying himself.

"Looks like your calculations were wrong. I mean, not to brag, but Soul's inventions never fail. Well, except for the one time....and that other time...the point is! Her inventions rarely explode, unlike Varian's. So I'd say I caught more knowledge than you." Flick said, totally not bragging.

"Well, I'd say both of your calculations were wrong." Hoots said as he and Pascal were also covered with mud.

Flick and Ruddiger smiled sheepishly at each other, letting out a small 'oops.' Hoots let out a sigh as he took pascal and gently set the chameleon down on the ground beside the two mammals. 

"Alright, Pascal. You go in first." He commanded, pointing his wing towards the creek. The chameleon mocked a salute before jumping into the water, squeaking happily. "Good, now you two. Get in." 

'What? In the water? No way!" Ruddiger declined, folding his arms. Glaring at the raccoon, Hoots harshly pecked at Ruddiger's head. "OW! OW! OW! STOP!"

"You will get in the water and clean that mud off of you as you were the reason why we're all covered in mud." Hoots said assertively.

"Technically, that was Flick's fault."

"You threw mud on me!"

"Well, you know I hate water, but you decided to splash some water on me anyway."

Hoots slapped his wing on his face as the two dog-like animals bickered with each other. "Lord Demanitus, please help me."

"SQUEAK! HELP ME!" 

"Pascal?" The two stopped bickering as they looked around to where the scream came from.

'There! Pascal!" Hoots pointed to where the chameleon was floating away. 

"Pascal!" Running down the side of the creek, the three followed the small current that washed away their friend only to stop as the creek connected to a river. 

"Oh, no, where's Pascal?" Flicked questioned as he struggled to see in the dark. 

"He's right there." Ruddiger answered, pointing to a small bark of a tree, where Pascal was sitting on top. "I heard that foxes could see in the dark. How come you can't see where Pascal is?"

"It's a disability. Before Soul adopted me, some hunters damaged my eyes. It wasn't too bad since I can still see clearly but, it damaged my night vision. I can still see in the dark, but it's just blurry." Flick answered as patted his paw between his muzzle where a scar was.

"Woah, how come I never noticed that before." The raccoon gasped.

"Now, you know." Flick said before turning to the owl. "Hey, Hoot, why don't you just fly and pick Pascal up before he gets even farther down the river." 

"Right. I'll be back soon." Flapping his wings, Sir Hoots-a-lot flew to where Pascal's mini boat was as he grabbed the chameleon.

"Woohoo! Way to go, Sir Hoots!" Ruddiger cheered. 

Hoots was about to fly back when a net grabbed him. Ruddiger and Flick gasped as they hid behind a bush, watching the two men who caught their friend.

"Look! A barn owl. You think this would suffice rather than a duck?" The one who caught Hoots asked his companion.

"I never tasted owl before. I bet it would be delicious. Look how fat it is!" The former chuckled as they walked back to their camp, with Hoots' sack behind them.

"Oh, no! They got Hoots and Pascal!" Flick panicked, shaking the raccoon. 

"I'm here!" Looking down, Ruddiger and Flick saw Pascal limping slightly as the chameleon walked closer to them. 

"Pascal!" The two exclaimed as Ruddiger picked the chameleon up. "How come you're not with Hoots?"

"I think Hoots sensed the two men as he already dropped me before he got caught." Pascal answered.

"We have to save Hoots! Apart from, we'll get in trouble if we return without him, but Soul would be completely heartbroken if Hoots is missing." Flick frantically suggested. Looking up at the sky, he noticed the position of the stars had changed drastically compared to when they left the caravan. "It's two more hours until sunrise. We have to save Hoots!"

"Alright, let's hurry!"

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you excited to be eaten, little birdy?" The man who caught Hoots asked. 

Hoots let out a small sound as he hid behind his wings. The man snorted and laughed as he stepped away from the owl's cage.

"You're not going anywhere, little birdy. The only place you'll be going is our stomachs!"

"There he is!" Flick pointed as the three sneaked into the men's house through the roof, hiding in the beams hanging from the ceiling. They were quite lucky that the men who lived there didn't bother to repair the roof.

"How can we set him free?" Ruddiger asked. Pascal scanned the room when a sparkle shone through the corner of his eye. 

"There, in his pocket!" He pointed to the man who was with the one who captured Hoots, sleeping on the couch. And sure enough, there were the keys that kept the lock to their friend's cage secured. "If you guys can get me close to him, I could probably snatch the key from him."

\-----------------------------------------------------

"How much longer?" Ruddiger complained as he struggled to hold Flick, who was holding Pascal down.

"Just a little bit closer!" Pascal informed as he tried to stretch his tongue out to get the key. 

Hearing some noises, Sir Hoots-a-lot peeked from the cage, looking for the source of the noise. Glancing up, he saw Pascal sticking his tongue out with Flick holding him on his tail and Ruddiger holding Flick by the fox's hind legs. 

"What are they doing?" Hoots whispered to himself as he watched the three. 

After a few minutes of reaching, Pascal finally got the keys as he signaled for the raccoon to pull them up.

"You guys were so heavy." Ruddiger breathed, wiping some sweat off from his forehead.

"Come on, let's bust Hoots out of here and go." Flick declared as he picked Pascal and placed the chameleon on his back, climbing down the pillar supporting the beams, Ruddiger behind them.

"I'm so happy you guys came." Hoots hooted, happily flapping his wings.

"Of course. Plus, Soul would go bonkers if you're gone." Flick replied as he jumped on the table where Hoots' cage was. 

"I suppose she would be sad."

CLINK

"There! Now come on, let's get out of here. Before those men wake up." Pascal squeaked as he unlocked the cage, opening it. The other three nodded as Pascal climbed up on Hoots' back, escaping through the window.

"So, that's how it feels to be caged." Hoots said as they went through the direction they were in earlier, following the creek to where they entered. "It was not a good experience."

"Next time, we should be careful. We don't want anyone getting captured again." Flick stated as they now exited the forest, running through the fields.

"You think there would be a next time?" Ruddiger asked.

"Why not? We're hardly let outside. You should be a bit rebellious once in a while." Flick replied.

"Yeah, no, thank you. I don't wanna die."

"Suit yourself."

"Guys, hurry! The sun's almost up! Someone could be awake right now and noticed that we're gone." Pascal informed as they picked up their pace. The sunrise shined through the four animals running, giving them magical silhouettes. They sped up even more as the caravan came into view.

"We made it!" Flick happily barked as they arrived in front of the caravan.

"You four should be thankful that Oren here didn't wake your owners up." Maximus stated, glaring at the four. "And Pascal, I thought you were more sensible."

Pascal sheepishly smiled at the horse, scratching his head.

"How often have you guys done this?" Maximus queried.

"A lot of times now. I mean, don't you get bored not going to adventures?" Flick replied, sitting on the grass.

"I had enough after Zhan Tiri." The horse said as if he were having flashbacks to when they were on the journey of finding the moonstone.

"We'll go inside now. See ya, Max." Ruddiger waved as they climbed the roof and entered through the trapdoor.

"And where have you four been?" Rapunzel sternly said. Her arms crossed as she narrowed her eyes at the animals who entered from the roof. Behind her was Varian and Soul, who looked really worried.

"Flick! Hoots! I was sooooo- why are you guys so dirty?" Soul gasped, seeing the four so muddy.

"Eww, Ruddiger. What in the world? What were you guys doing?" Varian grumbled, glaring at his raccoon.

"Pascal. Explain." Rapunzel stated in an assertive tone as Varian and Soul crossed their arms as well.

Oh, boy...... The four thought as Flick and Ruddiger's ears flopped down.

(Sooooo this is a filler chapter and our furry, reptile and feathery friends hardly get any screen time so here's a whole chapter dedicated to them! Hope you guys like it!)


	27. Chapter 26: Toru-ble Under the Underpass

*Mentions of slight blood warning. Nothing too gory, but there's still blood*

"I honestly can't believe you two would go out every night. Do you two go out as well back at home?" Soul angrily said, furiously scrubbing Flick's fur. She would usually use her bath bombs since Flick hates getting scrubbed, but as punishment, Soul bathed the fox naturally.

Flick let out a small yelp when Soul started scrubbing between his legs. Sir Hoots-a-lot watched the fox bathe with a sympathetic look in his eyes. The two have never seen their owner look so upset, especially now that her disappointment was directed to them.

Sensing someone watching, Soul glanced up to see her owl watching them on top of the caravan. "Don't think your off the hook, Sir. I'll give you your punishment later." Soul informed as she rinsed the foam off Flick's fur. After Soul made sure the fox was really clean and that there was no dirt left, she gently picked Flick up and placed him on the table inside the caravan, wiping him with a towel. Soul watched the fox shiver and trembled, and she instantly felt guilty for doing what her beloved fox hates. But she knew that she needs to be stern from time to time, and she needs to make sure that Flick and Hoots would never sneak out ever again. After all, the two are what Soul has left in her family.

"Come here." Soul softly said as she opened her arms to the fox. Flick happily jumped in her arms, and Soul could care less that the fox was still wet as she hugged him.

"Hoot!" Hoots hooted, flying in the caravan. Giggling, Soul gestured for the owl to join in and Hoots flew happily chirping as he perched himself on his owner's shoulder, snuggling in her warmth.

"Please, please, please. Don't do that again. What if you guys get hurt? Lost? Captured and killed?" Soul stated. Flick and Hoots shared a look at the last part. "I don't want you two getting hurt. If you want to go outside, when we stop for lunch or stop for the night just, bark or hoot at me, and I'll let you out so I can come with you. Just please, don't sneak out again. Understand?"

Flick licked the girl's right cheek, while Hoots pecked her left.

"Good. Now, -"

"What are you doing up?" A voice questioned from behind them.

Gulping, Soul turned around to face Varian with an unamused expression on his face. "Varian! Hey. Nice day we're having?" She greeted, attempting to change the topic.

"Sit back down." He commanded, pointing at the couch.

"I feel fine now. My ankle's healed." Soul huffed as she sat down on her couch.

"Oh, really?" Varian cheekily asked, narrowing his eyes playfully at the girl as he crossed his arms.

"Yeah!" Soul confidently replied.

"So, it won't hurt if I do.....this?" Varian kneeled and took the girl's left foot, pulling her boot off as he gently pressed his thumb on her ankle. When he heard no sound of pain, Varian was about to be impressed that her sprain already healed until he looked up and laughed at the girl's face as Soul tried to keep her scream. "You look like a chipmunk with your cheeks all puffed up."

"And you look like a beaver." Soul shot back. At this point, Varian wasn't bothered by the nickname anymore as he thinks that beavers are cute and smart.

"Just rest your foot. I'll take care of Flick and Hoots. I'm sure Ruddiger would be thrilled to know that he won't be alone on his punishment." Varian stated as he stood up.

"What is Ruddiger's punishment?"

Outside, Ruddiger was crying as he watched Max and Oren eat all the apples. Maximus smirked at the raccoon, taking a bite off an apple and slowly chewing on it, much to the raccoon's horror.

"Wow, you're evil." Soul commented.

"Hey! Ruddiger can be a huge troublemaker sometimes, and I barely punish him. I think this makes up for all the trouble he has caused." Varian defended.

"Alright, now that everyone is squeaky clean, let's get this show back on the road!" Eugene announced as everyone entered the caravan, getting ready for their departure.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days have passed, and the group finally arrived in front of the entrance to Stone Underpass.

"I think I would have loved to go through Firefly Forest than this." Lance fearfully stated as he hid under a blanket. Catalina rolled her eyes at her father-figure while Kiera proceeded to give the man a jump scare, making Lance faint out of fright.

"Samuel said that this is the fastest route to Maihara Desert. He's a protector of a Zodiac temple. I trust his judgement." Soul said, looking at the map. Stone Underpass is right beneath Maihara Desert, and it was the fastest way. But the reason she didn't choose this route was because of the note her brother wrote in one of his journals. It seems someone was living in the underpass that caused most travelers to come out empty-handed, some even wounded.

"Sunshine, as much I want you beside me. I want you to go inside the caravan." Eugene said, taking Rapunzel's hands.

"But -"

"Raps, you don't have the Sundrop anymore. I know you can protect yourself, but please. Just go inside." He begged, a pleading look in his eyes. Rapunzel sighed, kissing her lover on the lips before going inside the caravan.

"I'll be here behind you." Raps stated, sitting by the window behind the coachmen's boot.

"And I'll be here driving."

"Aww!" Catalina cooed as she watched the scene the two lovers displayed.

"You mean, eww? Because that was disgusting. Too much PDA!" Kiera shouted, scrunching her nose. Catalina only rolled her eyes at her sister, shaking her head.

"I think it's sweet." Soul commented, looking up from her book to look at the two girls.

"I agree with Soul. They are a sweet couple." Lance said, siding with the lavender-haired girl.

"And I don't get why we are discussing what we think of their relationship when they're just right there!" Varian annoyedly said, pointing to Rapunzel and Eugene, who was a few feet away from everyone else. Except for Soul. Her couch is near the window to the coachmen's boot, where Rapunzel is sitting. "Can't we just respect their relationship?"

"It's fine, Varian." Rapunzel reassured.

"I'm sorry. Was it insensitive of me to say what I think about you and Eugene?" Soul apologized as she worriedly asked the brunette if what she did was wrong.

"What? No, you weren't insensitive. It's fine. Thank you for the compliment, though." Rapunzel replied, reassuring the astrologer. Soul's panicked expression changed into that of relief as she heard the princess's words. "Anyways, how's your foot? Is it feeling better?" The brunette asked, changing the topic.

"It's getting better. Doctor Varian did an amazing job, being my healer." Soul jokingly said, casting a playful glance towards the alchemist.

"Oooh! She called you an amazing healer. That's progress." Lance teasingly whispered in Varian's ear, nudging the boy on the shoulder.

"Lance! No." Varian grumbled as he swatted the man's arm away from him. Sensing that everyone was staring at him, Varian cleared his throat, avoiding everyone's eyes. "T-thanks. Though, it was really you who healed yourself. You were stubborn at first, but you still heeded my advice and stayed on your couch to rest your foot."

"You threatened to tie me down on the couch if I keep standing and walking around." Soul deadpanned.

"Still, though."

"Hey, guys. Are these stuff normal in an underground underpass?" Eugene asked from outside. Curious abou what the ex-thief was referring to. Soul peeked from the window next to her and her eyes widen in surprise to what she saw.

"Are those...human bodies?" Lance gulped as he also looked at the window to see what Eugene was asking about. 

Littered on the ground were dozens of human bodies. There were also words written with blood on the walls that spelled 'Toru's territory' There were also cracked and broken caravan or wagons.

"Whoever this Toru is, it looks like he killed a lot of people and destroyed their vehicles." Rapunzel informed as Pascal hid on her shoulder.

Catalina and Kiera hugged each other as they heard a noise that seemed like a knife scratching.

"Do do- do you guys hear that?" Kiera questioned, trembling as she hugged her sister close.

"Everyone, huddle close together. Soul, can you stand?" Rapunzel asked. Soul nodded her head as she stood up, taking her satchel with her as she stood next to Lance, who switched places with Varian, giving the teen a smirk.

"Seriously, Lance? At a time like this?" Varian grunted as he threw an annoyed look towards Lance.

"Eugene, make sure to be careful, and don't let your guard down." Rapunzel instructed. Eugene was about to reply when an arrow was shot next to his head.

"Way ahead of you, sunshine!" He shouted as he took out his sword, stopping the caravan.

"You people are foolish. There is a reason why travelers barely used this underpass." A voice spoke from the shadows.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Eugene called, readying his sword.

"Can't you read? It clearly says here 'Toru's property.'" The man obviously stated, stepping out of the shadows and pointing his bow on the writings at the wall. Toru wasn't wearing a shirt as his well-built and tattooed body was visible to everyone. He was also wearing a skull mask, and no one can tell if that green, messy tuft on his head was his hair or fur. "Now, you know who I am. I kindly ask you to leave."

"Um, how about no? We need to get to Maihara Desert quickly, and this is the quickest way to get there." Rapunzel said as she stepped out of the caravan. Seeing the brunette outside, Soul turned to look to her right where the woman was earlier and saw comic-like lines tracing where Rapunzel used to stand.

"RAPS! What are you doing out here? I told you to stay inside." Eugene screamed at his lover, pulling on his hair.

"So, you want to go to Maihara Desert, huh? What you need to go there for?" Toru queried, wiping his spear on a cloth.

"We want to see Scorpio's temple." Rapunzel confidently stated. 

Toru stopped wiping his spear as he froze for a second. "Scorpio's temple, huh?" He mumbled under his mask. And just like lightning, Toru lunged at Rapunzel, making sure to push Eugene down as he pointed the sharp edge of his spear at Rapunzel's throat. Rapunzel was stunned as she stared at Toru's gleaming blue eyes through the holes in his mask. "What do you need with Scorpio's Temple?" Toru questioned menacingly.

"Sunshine!"

"Raps!"

"Princess!"

Everyone screamed, fearful of what might happen to their friend.

"Princess?" Toru asked as he lowered his spear. "Princess Rapunzel? The one who defeated Zhan Tiri using the Sundrop and Moonstone's powers?"

"Yes, but I didn't actually defeat her while using the two. It's a long story, but I did use the Sundrop and Moonstone to restore everyone's health." Rapunzel sheepishly explained.

Toru just stared at the brunette as Rapunzel shyly rubbed her arm. A minute later, Toru brought up a fist, hitting the princess on the head.

"You monster! How dare you lay a hand on my woman!" Eugene screamed as he stood up, taking his sword and lunging at the masked man. However, Toru was quick on his feet as he dodged Eugene's attack, but Eugene had another trick up his sleeve. As Toru evaded the sword, he instantly punched the masked man on the face, knocking his mask off. While Toru was busy rubbing his face, Eugene ran over to Rapunzel, checking on her if she had any injuries.

"I'm fine, Eugene. He didn't hit me too hard." Rapunzel reassured as her fiance hugged her tightly.

"Let me just say. If I weren't wearing a mask, that punch wouldn't hurt me a bit." Toru said as he held his nose. His back faced everyone as if he doesn't want anyone seeing his face.

"Show yourself, coward." Eugene provoked, pointing his sword at the man.

"I don't want to." The man huffed childishly. Everyone looked at Toru in disbelief. 

"What do you mean you don't want to? That's an order!" Eugene demanded, getting more irritated.

"It means I don't want to. And you don't control me." Toru replied, blowing a raspberry, though it wasn't seen.

Cue cricket sounds as everyone went silent at the man's childish response.

"For a man who killed a lot of people, you sure are childish." Soul commented. Varian looked at the girl beside him with wide eyes. 

"You know what. This, obviously is not working." Toru mumbled as he took something in his pants' pocket.

"What's not working?" Eugene annoyedly asked, lowering his sword a little.

Toru threw a grey vial on the ground, emitting a massive black smoke, covering the whole caravan and its inhabitants. Everyone felt weak after inhaling a bit of the smoke, Catalina and Kiera fainting not long after.

"W-what is this smoke?" Varian coughed as he held Ruddiger, attempting to shield the raccoon from the smoke before falling on the ground.

"What the ..." Eugene whispered before fainting next to Rapunzel.

Soul was worried about her friends as she looked at Toru from the window, hiding herself a bit as she didn't want to let the man know that someone is still awake. For some reason, whatever the smoke was causing didn't work on her but instead of worrying about it, the girl focused on the problem at hand, looking for a way to save the others.

"Now, that was eventful. Now, let's get you guys somewhere safe before he gets all of you." Toru said as he carried Eugene and Rapunzel towards the caravan. 

Panicking, Soul laid on her couch, pretending to be asleep. She then heard footsteps walk inside the caravan and some grunting. Soul opened an eye, curious about what Toru was doing, and was surprised at what she saw. Toru gently laid Eugene and Rapunzel on the bed as he also carried Catalina and Kiera, placing them on the other bed. Next, Toru moved Varian away from Lance, noticing Ruddiger in the alchemist's arms. Ruddiger snarled at the man but quickly warming up as Toru held out a biscuit he took from his pocket.

"It's a good thing the smoke doesn't affect animals." The man mumbled as he petted the raccoon. He then spotted Flick, Hoots, and Pascal hiding in a corner as he waved at the animals. Soul still couldn't see what the man looked like as his back was facing her. "Okay, now to get you somewhere safe." Toru breathed as he exited the caravan to sit on the coachmen's booth. Maximus was a bit hesitant at first. But after Toru whispered some things in the horse's ear, Maximus was quick to oblige as he and Oren quickly moved in the direction Toru instructed them to go.


	28. Chapter 27: Toru, Scorpio's Protector

*Mentions of slight blood. Injury cleaning*

*Meanwhile, back in Aradia*

"Hey, Samuel. Do you think we forgot to tell Soul and the others some important information?" Clara asked as she watched Samuel mop the floor.

Samuel stopped mopping as he thought about what Clara said before casually shrugging. "I don't know."

The black-haired woman continued to rack her brain for what she forgot before deciding to just forget about it.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Staying quiet, Soul slowly sat up as she looked out the window. Max and Oren were leading the caravan to a small cave in the underpass. Her eyes scanned the cave, and who knew that a cave could look like a home?

"I know you're awake." Toru said, not looking at the girl. Soul froze in her seat, eyes wide as she held her breath. "I still know you're awake. Pretending not to exist won't help you."

Exhaling, Soul suck up some courage as she went to sit on the bench by the coachmen's boot. She turned to look at Varian, who was still sleeping, grimacing at the thought of what the alchemist would do to her if he saw her walking around. Sitting on the bench, she watched as Max and Oren parked the caravan.

"Alright, girly. Help me move your friends out." Toru commanded as he entered the caravan. Soul didn't answer but did as she was told anyway, scared of what the man would do to her if she disobeyed. Picking up Kiera, she followed where Toru placed Rapunzel. "Here, place her here. Only the girls, though." He instructed, gesturing to the small room inside the cave.

Soul placed Kiera next to Rapunzel as she went back to the caravan to get Catalina. Once she placed the red-haired girl next to her sister, she watched Toru tie up the boys on the chairs. Toru felt someone staring at him, so he turned his head to see Soul watching him. He looked at the boys then back at the girl as he realized what the girl was looking at. "Oh, they might kill me if I don't tie them, unlike you girls." He explained.

The man's words irked Soul, her eye twitching. "Do you mean we girls can't kill you?" Soul growled, grabbing an alchemy ball in her satchel. Ruddiger, Flick, Hoots, and Pascal stood next to her, also growling at the man. Even with his mask on, Soul knew that Toru was looking at them boredly.

"Kid, chemicals don't work on me. If they did, I would also be knocked out from the gas I released earlier." Toru stated as he stood up, walking closer to the girl. Soul took a step back, her knees shaking as she stared at the man in front of her. "Now." He started. Soul gulped, her grip on the alchemy ball slightly tightened as she waited for the man to continue. "Do you know how to do first aid?" Toru queried as he took off his mask.

"I- What?" Soul dumbfoundedly asked. What the man said took her completely off guard. Out of all the questions the man could ask her, his question was the least she expected.

"I said, do you know how to do first aid? To be specific, on the nose." He repeated as he poked his bleeding and swollen nose, wincing from the pain. Soul stood still, observing the man's features. Toru had dark green hair and looked like he was younger than Eugene and Lance but certainly older than Varian. He had a sharp jaw and piercing blue eyes. She then glanced down at the animals with an unsure expression. What's there to lose? I'm just helping a possible enemy. It's not like I'm upping our chances of dying. She chuckled in her head.

"I advice you to sit for this." Soul replied as she pushed the man away from her, slightly flustered from how close Toru was to her. After all, she couldn't deny that the man was good looking.

"Is it that serious?" Toru said, his voice slightly faltering as he sat down on the couch, looking at the lavender-haired girl.

"Not really. Just, try not to scream. Okay?" She reassured as she rolled her sleeves as to not get blood in them. She then proceeded to place a hand on the man's nose, looking at him. "You ready?"

"Yeah- Ow!" Toru screamed as Soul cleaned the cut on the man's nose using a medicine she has in her satchel. The wound wasn't too deep, but it was still painful enough. She then proceeded to sit the man upright, leaning his head forward slightly, pinching just above his nostrils to try and stop the bleeding.

"You need to breathe through your mouth. Or else the blood will come down your throat." Soul instructed as she made the man pinch his own nose, going inside the caravan for a second to look for Varian's bag. "I'm sure he won't mind if I use some of this." She whispered to herself as she took the light blue vial and dropped a few on a glass of water she got before searching the bag.

"Where did you get that ice?" Toru questioned as he eyed the ice Soul was holding as she walked back to the couch.

"None of your business. Now, place this on the bridge of your nose." Soul said as she wrapped the ice on a rag she found on the floor of the cave, handing it to the man. Toru took the ice and did what the girl said.

"You can sit down, you know. I don't bite." He said.

"I doubt that. Considering you killed all those poor people, and you tried to kill my friend." Soul responded, folding her arms as she flopped down on the couch before jumping up in surprise. "What is this?" She shrieked as she held up some sort of meat.

"Ah, yeah. Sorry. I was looking for that." Toru apologized, taking the meat from the girl's hands. "And, uh, I didn't kill those people. In fact, I'm protecting them from it."

"Protecting them from what?" Soul questioned, wiping her hands on her dress before sitting on a different spot on the couch.

"From the -"

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Varian yelled as he thrashed around on his chair, screaming as the chair fell on the floor.

"Varian! Are you alright?" The girl asked as Toru stood up and pulled the chair back up, not bothering to untie the screaming alchemist.

"What are you going to do with her? You better not touch her, you hear me?" Varian continued to scream as Toru sat back down on the couch. "Soul, are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?" He worriedly asked.

"No, I didn't. Would you please stop screaming now? Your voice is echoing, and we would be in bigger trouble if he hears you." Toru answered. His eyes focused on the entrance of the cave as if he was waiting for something.

"I wasn't talking to you." Varian growled, glaring at the man. "Soul, are you alright?" He asked again, his eyes softening as he looked at the astrologer who was calmly sitting on the couch. Varian really admired how calm the girl is even in drastic situations. She hardly loses her cool, a trait he wanted to have.

"I'm fine, don't worry. Toru didn't hurt me." Soul responded, smiling at the alchemist. Varian sighed in relief as he observed his surroundings.

"Where are we?" He said, voicing his thoughts.

"You're in my home. Well, temporary home, but it's home nonetheless." Toru answered.

"And where is this?" Varian queried, raising an eyebrow at the man.

"In a small cave in the Underpass."

"So, uhm, before you were rudely interrupted by someone screaming, what were you protecting the people from?" Soul questioned, giving the alchemist a side glance.

"Oh! I'm protecting the people from- "

"SOUL! You monster, don't you dare touch her!" Eugene screamed as he woke up, also thrashing in his seat. Soul and Toru facepalmed as the ex-thief kept screaming profanities. Soon after, Lance woke up along with the girls walking out of the room. Upon seeing Toru, Rapunzel blushed a little before shaking her head and putting up her guard, pushing Catalina and Kiera behind her.

"What do you want from us?" She questioned, pulling out her frying pan from who knows where.

"Look, I don't want anything from you. Just so you know, you guys should be thanking me for saving your lives." Toru agitatedly responded as he ran a hand through his green hair. "If it weren't for me stopping you, Scorpio would have mauled you guys to pieces."

"Scorpio?" Soul echoed as she looked at the man with a confused look. "Scorpio is a constellation and a Zodiac. He can't kill humans even if he wanted to."

"The Zodiac can't, but the protectors can. You see, out of all the Zodiacs, Scorpio and Taurus have the evilest protectors. I should know. I'm Scorpio's protector." Toru proudly declared. Everyone looked at each other, then at the man, who just realized what he said. "Um, I'm not evil. I was talking about my ancestors, and uh, you know what I mean!" He said, blushing in embarrassment.

"So, that's why Samuel told us to take this route." Lance said to Eugene.

"Samuel sent you? Why didn't you say so? Didn't you know that mentioning the name of the protector is the password?" Toru said as he took the ice off his nose but putting it back when Soul told him not to take it off for a while.

"No, he never mentioned anything. Not even Clara." Soul responded.

"I swear, they always forget." He sighed. "Well, now, you know!" Toru happily chirped.

"I'm pretty sure he's bipolar." Kiera whispered to Catalina, as the latter nodded in approval.

"So, um. Are you not gonna untie us?" Varian said in a sassy tone.

"Nope! You're gonna kill me." Toru declined, sticking his tongue out at the boy.

"We're gonna kill you otherwise if you don't release us." Varian snapped. Toru sighed as he took out a knife from his belt, walking to the men who were tied on the chairs.

"If you punch me after I untie you, I'm going to feed you to that huge scorpion." He threatened as he cut off the rope around Varian. Toru then proceeded to cut the binds around Lance and Eugene, freeing them.

"Thank you." Eugene said as he rubbed his wrist.

"So, those dead bodies outside, that wasn't your doing?" Rapunzel asked as she sat next to Soul.

"Nope! They were some travelers I failed to save when I started out as the protector." Toru replied, sitting back down on his chair.

"Are you the only protector?" Catalina asked from behind the couch Rapunzel and Soul were sitting on.

"Nope. But my family's the last surviving bloodline of Scorpio's protectors."

"Then why are you the only one here?" Varian questioned as he looked around the cave, not seeing any of the man's family members.

"Every protector has a different way of protecting the orb. Libra is just lucky to have protectors who took their job seriously and did their job cleanly. Scorpio's early protectors made sure to kill anyone who did not get permission to enter the temple, even if they were also protectors of other temples. Hence, why they mutated a small scorpion into a large man-eating monster, naming it Scorpio. Scorpio only listens to the protectors of the temple and allows only one person inside." Toru explained as he showed a large scar behind his back.

"Yikes! Where did you get that?" Eugene grimaced as he saw the scar.

"I got it when I first entered the underpass. It was my turn to protect the temple. Family tradition, when the firstborn turns ten, he or she must take over protecting the temple. That's why I have tons of siblings." Toru shared as he turned to face the group again. "That mask I was wearing earlier? It was worn by the very first protector and was handed down from generation to generation. Pretty sick, huh?" He added, smirking playfully.

"So, you said that only one person could enter the temple?" Rapunzel questioned. Toru nodded his head as the brunette turned to her friends. "Who's entering?"

"I should." Soul volunteered, raising her hand. "Every temple has a crystal flower that contains memories of what happened before. I, need to know who those people I kept seeing are."

"Oh, you mean Memoria Vitris?" Toru asked.

"What?" The astrologer said, turning to look at the green-haired man.

"Those flowers. They're called Memoria Vitris or Crystallized Memories in English." He explained.

'Um, yes. That. Anyways, please let me go." She pleaded, looking at Rapunzel with huge eyes.

"It's too dangerous, Soul. Plus, your ankle. It's not fully recovered yet." Varian protested, furrowing his brows upwards.

"My ankle's fine. And I survived living alone in a forest full of much more dangerous creatures. I can handle myself." Soul barked, frowning as she looked at the alchemist in the eyes, showing no sign of backing down.

"Are you sure about this, Soul?" Rapunzel asked, taking Soul's hands. The girl nodded determinedly as Rapunzel breathed out a sigh. "Alright. But you're bringing Pascal and Sir Hoots along with you."

"Toru said only one person is allowed!"

"But Pascal and Sir are not humans now, are they?" The brunette smirked as she looked at Toru for confirmation.

"I'm pretty sure he won't harm the animals. They're fine." Toru confirmed, giving them a thumbs up.

"Then it's settled. I'm going with Pascal and Hoots." Soul declared, determinedly smiling like she was in a spotlight.

Coughing, Toru caught everyone's attention. "Scorpio's peak is still a few days, weeks away." He said as he counted on his fingers. " A week away."

"Oh." Soul said as she smacked her forehead for forgetting.

"Yeah. You guys are free to stay here for the week. I have enough food to feed all of us." He offered. "The girls can sleep in my room while I sleep on the couch. You guys can sleep in the caravan."

"Thank you so much, Toru." Rapunzel thanked, smiling warmly at the man.

"It's no problem! It's nice to live with someone again. The last time I lived with my family was eight years ago." Toru said, waving off the brunette's words. "Now, I suggest you spray yourselves with this." He instructed, holding out a bottle with purple liquid.

"That smells awful. What is it?" Eugene commented, covering his nose to block the scent of the liquid.

"Smell of death."

Everyone gagged from the scent as Toru sprayed them with the liquid. "I know it smells bad but it would serve as protection from -" Toru cut off what he was saying as the ground shook. "Scorpio." Everyone looked at the entrance of the cave to see a large shadow making its way to where the cave is. "Everyone, stay in my room. Make sure to cover my blanket over all of you. " He instructed. Rapunzel and the others ran to Toru's room, and as Soul was about to go inside, Toru grabbed her wrist, pulling her next to him. "Except for you. I want you to meet, Scorpio."

"Won't he kill me?" Soul asked skeptically.

"You're the one entering the temple. I think Scorpio should know who you are now." He explained as he put his skull mask on.

"TORU!" A loud voice called, vibrating through the walls. Soul covered her ears from the loud sound as the footsteps came closer. "TORU, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"I'm here." Toru calmly answered. The girl noticed how Toru kept his posture straight and kept his cool as he came face to face with the scorpion. Looking up, Soul's eyes widen as she saw how the scorpion towered both of them. "What do you want?"

"WHY IS THERE A HUMAN HERE?" Scorpio roared, his tail sharpened as he pointed it towards the lavender-haired girl.

"M-my name is Soul. Samuel sent me. I'm here to get Scorpio's orb." Soul spoke, stepping forward a bit.

"AND WHY SHOULD I LET YOU HAVE IT? JUST BECAUSE LIBRA'S PROTECTOR SENT AND ALLOWED YOU TO TAKE THE ORB, DOES NOT MEAN I SHOULD DO THE SAME."

"Please? We need it so we can wish to banish Zhan Tiri forever. " She pleaded. Toru watched the two's interaction, preparing to defend the girl if necessary.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! HA!" Scorpio laughed as his tail sharpened, thrusting it towards Soul. Toru went in front of Soul, preparing to be stabbed but was surprised as a blue forcefield surrounded him and the girl. The forcefield grew, pushing back the scorpion.

"Did you do that?" Toru asked, not looking at Soul as his eyes stared at the scorpion who hit the wall.

"Kinda? It sorta happens every time it thinks my life is in danger." Soul replied, nervously chuckling.

"YOU!" Scorpio shouted as he crawled towards the two. Toru pushed back Soul as he readied his spear in a defensive stance. "MOVE ASIDE, BOY." The scorpion demanded.

"Don't hurt her. She just wants to save her kingdom." Toru objected.

The scorpion clicked its tongue as he shoved the man away. Soul whimpered a bit as the scorpion loomed over her. Scorpio eyed the girl as he noticed the pendant she was wearing. Widening his eyes, the scorpion bowed in respect, confusing the girl.

"MY APOLOGIES, M'LADY. I ALLOW YOU TO TAKE THE ORB IF YOU PLEASE. YOU MAY ALSO BRING ANOTHER PERSON IF YOU WOULD LIKE." Scorpio announced as he lifted his head.

"Um, thank you." Soul unsurely said, thanking the huge scorpion.

"I SHALL SERVE AS YOUR GUARDIAN AND ESCORT ON THE DAY OF THE PEEK. UNTIL THEN, IF YOU ARE IN TROUBLE, YOU MAY CALL ME AS YOU PLEASE." The scorpion stated before leaving the cave. After making sure the scorpion was really gone, Toru walked next to Soul as Rapunzel, and the others exited the room.

"Well, that was unusual." Toru commented, laughing as everyone looked at him weirdly.


	29. Chapter 28: Scorpio's Temple

*Legit blood warning this time. Someone was stabbed owo who is it? Read to find out*

Carefully stepping out of the room, not wanting to wake the others up. Soul walked to where Toru was sharpening his spear with a stone, sitting next to him.

"Can't sleep?" Toru asked the girl beside him. The girl nodded her head as she turned to look at the green-haired man.

"How's your nose?" Soul asked, noticing that there was a bandage on his nose.

"Oh, yeah, I never thanked you for fixing up my nose. So, thank you for that and, uh, It feels better now." He answered. Soul let out a small your welcome as she sat there in silence, watching him sharpen his spear.

"Do you know the last people who used the stardust?" Soul questioned, finally breaking the silence.

Toru stopped as he placed the stone and his spear down, stretching a bit before leaning back using his arms as support. "Yeah, I knew them. I don't remember much about them, but I knew them. I was ten at the time when they came and took Scorpio's orb." He answered.

"Did they tell you what they wished for? What were their names? What did they look like?" Soul questioned again, bombarding the poor protector with questions.

"Woah! Hey, one at a time." Toru chuckled at the girl's curiosity, waving a hand. He then tilted his head upwards to look up the ceiling, a faraway look in his eyes. "Yeah, I knew them. Their names were Igneous and Wisteria asfejasa."

"What?" Soul confusedly asked, not understanding what the male said when he mentioned their surnames.

"What do you mean, what?" Toru asked back, raising a brow as he looked down at the girl.

"What were their surnames?"

"Asfejasa." Soul shot him a quizzical look, knitting her brows. The girl then noticed Eugene, who stepped out of the caravan, groggily rubbing his eyes. Calling out to him, Eugene slowly walked to where the two were talking.

"What is it, Star Gazer?" The ex-thief yawned.

"What were their surnames again, Toru?" Soul said, making the green-haired man repeat what he said. Turning to Eugene, she asked the same question.

"Asfejasa." Eugene answered in a bored tone.

"Are their surnames Asfejasa?" Soul questioned, and it was Toru this time, who looked at her with a confused expression.

"What? No, their surnames are asfejasa. Not Asfejasa." He answered.

"Asfejasa is what I keep hearing, not whatever you're saying." She admitted as she looked down on the ground.

"It must mean that Wisteria and Igneous wished for something that they don't want certain people to hear. But for that to happen, the people who wished for that must know you." Toru explained, looking at the confused girl. "The only way for you to know what I said is if the secret keeper tells you, themselves."

"So, even If I asked Clara and Samuel who those people were, they won't be able to tell me?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going back to sleep." Eugene stated as he went back inside the caravan. Soul and Toru looked at the man, waving goodbye before turning back to their conversation.

"Does this mean you can't tell me what they wished for?" The lavender-haired girl sheepishly asked.

"Nope. Now, it's my turn to ask questions." He started, looking at Soul for approval, to which Soul just shrugged and nodded her head. "What was that before? You know, the forcefield? What's up with that?" He questioned, leaning his head on his hand.

"Oh, I just recently discovered I could do that. It seems to activate every time my life is in danger or when I'm about to be killed." Soul answered, scratching her cheek nervously.

"So, you don't know why you can do that?" Toru further questioned. The astrologer curiously looked at the man, wondering what he meant. "You don't know where your magic came from?"

"Um, no. I don't." Soul said, slightly unsettled. "Why? Do you know where I got it from?"

"I have an idea, but even if I told you, you wouldn't understand it." The man replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Why don't you try to write it?"

"You still won't understand it."

"Why?"

"I have really bad penmanship."

"Eh?"

"And it would still come out as gibberish to you."

"Oh, come on!"

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Soul called out for Scorpio to ask him the same questions he asked the green-haired protector, to which the scorpion replied, "AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU, M'LADY. I COULD NOT. I HAVE SWORN NOT TO TELL A SINGLE SOUL."

"Not to tell me, or a literal Soul?"

"VERY HILARIOUS, M'LADY."

"It was worth a shot."

And that was a few days ago. Back to the present time, It was now the day of the peak, and Soul is currently preparing for the trip to the temple. It was a huge convenience that Toru's cave had a shortcut that leads to the exit of the underpass. Scorpio even offered to let Soul and her chosen companions a ride on his back to speed up the pace.

"Alright, are you ready, Pascal? Hoots?" Soul asked the two animals as Pascal mocked a Salute, and Sir Hoots-a-lot hooted a reply. "Perfect! Now, let me call for Scorpio."

"Ahem." A voice said, clearing their throat behind her. "Scorpio said he would allow you to bring another companion, did he not?"

"Why do you even want to come with me that bad, Varian? Don't you trust me?" She asked as she turned to face the alchemist.

"I-I trust you." He stammered before continuing, "It's just that, what if you know, Zhan Tiri's henchmen attack you again? Pascal and Hoots can only do so much." Varian reasoned.

Soul looked at the boy quizzically before giving in. "You can come."

"Yeah!" Varian cheered but quickly stopping in his tracks as he felt the astrologer staring at him. "Uhm, ahem. I'll go, get my gear now. Excuse me." He excused, running to the caravan, tripping over himself a few times.

"What a weirdo. Is he really like this?" Soul commented as she asked the raccoon next to Flick. Ruddiger shrugged as he scratched behind his ear. "Well, we have to wait for the guy before leaving."

"And here I thought you said you didn't have a crush on her?" Lance teasingly said as the alchemist entered the caravan with a giddy look.

"What? No! I do not." He denied blushing. Varian proceeded to get his satchel, attempting to ignore Lance's whistles.

"He says he doesn't have a crush on her, yet he acts all excited to be alone with her." Kiera whispered loudly to Catalina as the two girls giggled.

Varian glared at the small black-haired child, groaning. "Not you too, Kiera, Catalina."

"Whaaat? It's true, though." Kiera replied as she, Catalina and Lance all shared a look, nodding.

"Soul and Varian, sitting on a tree. K I S S I N G!" They sang, making Varian's eyes almost pop out his eye sockets.

"I do not have a crush on her." He stated firmly. "It's just that she's the first friend I ever made by myself without Rapunzel or anyone helping me. Plus, we have a lot in common, even if she doesn't like alchemy as I do. And it's not like she would like me anyway." He said, whispering the last part.

"Fine, fine. We won't tease you anymore." Varian's face lit up as he heard what Lance said. "Too much." Lance finished, playfully smirking.

Varian shrugged his shoulders, "Eh, better than nothing." He stated as he waved goodbye to the Schnitz family, exiting the caravan.

"What took you so long? And what were those guys singing?" Soul asked as the alchemist walked closer to her.

"Oh, um. Don't mind them. So, where's Scorpio?" He replied, brushing off the girl's question, following her outside the cave to the underpass.

"I'M HERE." The scorpion's voice boomed throughout the walls of the underpass. "ARE YOU REALLY CHOOSING THIS PUNY HUMAN AS YOUR COMPANION, M'LADY?" Scorpio questioned, pointing a claw at the alchemist.

"As much as I want to bring someone else, he's the only one available, and he volunteered." Soul replied as she placed Pascal in her satchel, hopping on the scorpion's back. "I hope you'll be okay in there." She asked the chameleon. Pascal squeaked in response as he made himself comfortable in the bag. "Come here, Hoots." Soul said, gesturing to herself. The owl wasted no time to fly towards his owner, making himself comfortable in her arms.

"Wait, so you were planning on bringing me along either way?" Varian asked as he climbed on the scorpion, flopping behind the girl.

"Yeah. Toru would be guarding the underpass for other travelers. Eugene and Lance are also out as we need someone to protect Toru's cave in case there would be a shadow attacks, and I can't possibly ask the princess. The king would behead me if I put her in danger. I could have brought Kiera or Catalina, but they said that they don't want to. So that leaves you." She listed, answering the boy's question. Varian frowned a little as he felt like he was the last person the girl wanted to spend time with. "I know you wanted to go, but I didn't want to ask you." Soul added, catching the alchemist's attention.

"Why?" He asked.

Soul was about to answer when Scorpio interrupted their conversation. "HOLD TIGHT, YOU TWO. WE'LL RIDE LIKE THE WIND!" The scorpion announced as his tail spun rapidly, speeding up his crawls. Varian held tightly on to the girl as Soul tightened her grip on the scorpion's back, the two screaming from how fast they were going.

"THIS IS SO AWESOOOOME!!!!" Varian ecstatically screamed, cheering as they go.

"I feel like I'm gonna be sick." Soul said as she gagged. Scorpio crawled quickly, turning left, then right. Their ride was going smoothly until shadow spikes appeared on the ground.

"I SEE THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS ROUTE AS WELL." Scorpio shouted, alerting the two on his back.

"I'll handle this. Papilionibus, specie et Volitantem!" Soul cast, making glowing butterflies light up the underpass, dispersing the shadow spikes.

"Wait, if the shadow henchmen are here, do you think Raps and the others are in danger?" Varian asked in a worried tone, looking at the direction they came from over his shoulder.

"Hopefully, they're only after us." Soul replied, focusing to keep the spell activated until they arrive at the temple.

\----------------------------------------------

After an hour of traveling through the shortcut, they finally reached the entrance of the temple. Varian had to push the astrologer in as she stopped to marvel at the temple's beauty.

"Are you coming with us, Scorpio?" Soul asked before entering.

"AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO, I CANNOT ENTER THE TEMPLE." The scorpion sadly answered. "DO NOT FRET, M'LADY. I WILL BE HERE, WAITING AND WHEN YOU ARE DONE, I WILL ESCORT YOU BACK TO YOUR FRIENDS." 

"Thank you. We'll be going now." Soul said as she entered the temple. Varian, close behind her with Hoots perched on his shoulder.

The hallway towards the throne room where the orb was kept was, a bit disturbing. Various skeletons and random bones littered the floor. It was a good thing the hallway was fairly lit, making the shadow henchmen have a hard time entering. There were also a bunch of scorpion statues, much to Varian's dismay. He's not afraid or creeped out by the scorpions, oh, no. He's pretty much disturbed because the statues had dried blood on them.

"Try not to look then if you're scared of blood." The astrologer obviously stated, raising an eyebrow at the alchemist.

"Easy for you to say. That stuff is pretty much everywhere in this hallway." He answered, his voice slightly shaking to which the girl rolled her eyes at. "How much farther until we get to the throne room?"

"How should I know? Do you think I know the layout of this place?" Soul replied as she watched Sir Hoots fly ahead of them. 

Varian was about to complain again when Soul placed a finger on the boy's lips, silencing the alchemist as pink dusted his cheeks. "Shh."

"W-what? What did you hear?" Varian questioned as he looked around, not seeing anything unusual as the girl started to walk again. "Is it a henchman?"

"I don't know. Maybe." She answered, continuing to walk. His eyes darted around before looking plainly at the girl.

"There was nothing there, was it?"

"I said maybe. Just be quiet. If there really is something, we won't be able to hear it through your complaining." Soul responded, her mouth twitching upward as she heard the alchemist behind her groan in frustration.

"I swear, you're going to be the death of me." Varian commented.

"THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME!" Soul snapped, catching Varian off guard at the girl's sudden outburst. Varian looked down and saw how furious the girl looked at him. And the part that confused him the most was that Soul's anger didn't seem to be directed at him. But at herself. "Let's just continue to find the throne room. The sooner we get the orb, the sooner we can leave this place safely." Soul whispered, turning away as continued to walk, leaving Varian standing there, staring at the girl's back with a sad look before walking as well.

"Squeak!" Pascal squeaked, looking up at the girl, sensing she was upset. Soul smiled down at the chameleon, though her smile didn't reach her eyes. 

"I'm alright, Pascal."

"Hoot!" Sir Hoots hooted as he flew back to the two.

"What is it? Did you see something, Hoots?" Soul questioned as she looked at the owl flying circles above them. The owl hooted as he pointed towards a direction using his wing. "Hoots knows where the throne room is." She informed Varian before turning back towards the owl. "Can you lead us there?"

Flapping his wings, Hoots flew straightly as Soul and Varian followed the owl, and soon enough, they finally reached the throne room. Just in time too! Scorpio's orb was already on the pedestal. Varian glanced at the girl as he gestured for her to take the orb. Nodding, Soul went up to the pedestal. And as she was about to take the orb, a scream reverberated throughout the whole room.

"Varian?" She asked, turning around to find Scorpio, who stabbed Varian on the stomach with his tail. "Varian!" She screamed before looking at the large scorpion. "I THOUGHT YOU COULDN'T ENTER THE TEMPLE? Unless...."

"I will be taking that orb for my master. It would also be nice if you hand over the other orbs as well." The shadow scorpion demanded as he pointed his tail towards the Soul.

"Don't... Don't let him take the orb." Varian grunted as he coughed up blood, holding his stomach. Small tears escaped the astrologer's eyes as she looked at the awful state the alchemist was in.

"Shut up, boy!" The shadow yelled as he swatted Varian to the side, harshly using his claws. Varian screamed in pain as he hit the wall before passing out. "Now, that he's out of the way, you're next, girly!" The shadow scorpion cried as he jumped to where Soul was. Soul quickly grabbed the orb, not bothering to watch its sparkly show, placing the orb in her satchel. She dodged the scorpion, running towards Varian, praying that he was still alive.

"There's still a pulse." She breathed, relieved as she felt the boy's wrist. "Hang in there, Varian." 

"You are quite an idiot, aren't you little girl? You know I'm after the orb, and yet you still take it. How foolish, this is why humans don't live long!" The shadow shouted before lunging at the girl. Soul quickly grabbed Varian, evading the scorpion's claws as it smashed the places they were in. 

"Praemium!" Soul shouted as she threw a bunch of alchemy balls towards the scorpion. The chem balls exploded, drenching the shadow scorpion with the newly heated compound. "Accenderet!" And just like that, the scorpion the shadow disguised as had melted as the fire Soul emitted came in contact with the compound he was drenched in. The shadow screamed as he reverted to his shadow form, dispersing as Soul shot him another fire. 

"Hoot!" Hoots hooted as he flew down next to the lavender-haired girl. Soul panted, feeling a bit tired from using her magic. Looking down at the teen in her arms, she panicked as she saw the blood coating the alchemist's shirt, as more blood oozed out from his wound. Pascal jumped out of the girl's satchel as he hid behind Hoots, a sad expression on their faces. 

"Where is it? I know I brought that book." Soul frantically said as she searched her satchel for the spellbook where the healing spell was, not caring if blood stained her items, careful not to touch the orbs. After she found the book, she hurriedly flipped the page, finding the spell as she chanted the words, placing all of her energy into the spell. "Sana Statim!" Green light seeped out of her palms as the wound on Varian's stomach slowly closed. 

"Squeak!" Pascal loudly squeaked as Soul almost collapsed. She wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead as she let out a tired sigh. Soul had no idea that the spell would completely drain her energy out. 

"I'm fine. Varian's fine, thank Demanitus." Soul whispered under her breath as she wiped out some tears that unconsciously fell from her eyes as she healed the boy. Gently tucking a strand of his hair behind his ear, Soul placed Varian's head on her lap as she couldn't find the strength to stand up yet. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault..." she whispered, gently playing with the alchemist's hair.

"Soul!? Varian- VARIAN! Soul, what happened?" Toru yelled as he found the two teenagers on the floor, one who was covered in blood and one who looked like she was about to pass out. 

Soul shakily lifted a hand towards Toru, narrowing her eyes at the man as Toru stopped in his tracks. "Asfeja?" She lowly asked.

"I thought you said it was Asfejasa?" Toru questioned before shaking his head as he rushed to where the two were. "Don't worry. It's really me. What happened?"

"A shadow henchman disguised as Scorpio and stabbed Varian using his tail." Soul explained as Toru lifted the boy off Soul's lap and carrying him instead. "I already healed his wound, but it's the poison I'm worried about. I left most of my alchemy supplies in the caravan."

"I got him. I always carry antidotes for poison with me, in case I encounter a traveler and Scorpio stings them." He said as he took out a purple vial from his pocket. He opened the alchemist's mouth as he poured the liquid in, forcing the boy to drink it. "That should do the trick. He'll be fine."

"What are you doing here? Is everyone alright?" Soul questioned, wondering how the green-haired man got here so quickly.

"Everyone's fine. Eugene and Lance managed to fight off the other shadows. I ran towards here after I got the message that Zhan Tiri's shadow henchmen are on the attack." Toru explained as he stood up. "Before we go, isn't there something you want to check out first?" He asked, gesturing to the crystallized Germanium.


	30. Chapter 29: Not Your Fault

Looking at the green-haired man, Toru gestured for the girl to touch the Germanium. Soul stood up, slowly walking towards the crystal flower, gently touching the tip, and like always, her surroundings changed, fading into a light blue. The only difference this time was that the memory showed what happened before Wisteria and Igneous entered the temple. 

Soul felt happy as she saw that the two people she wanted to know more about weren't wearing their cloaks. But her smile instantly disappeared when she walked closer to see what they look like as black mist was covering their faces.

"Please! Let us through. Samuel and Clara sent us. We have their permission." Wisteria cried as she begged, kneeling in front of the younger Toru. "Please, I beg of you. We don't have much time. Our child is dying. Please."

Igneous placed both of his hands on his partner's shoulder, comforting her as he looked at the young protector. "Please, let us through." He begged, kneeling alongside the crying woman.

"I want to let you through, but you need Scorpio's permission. Though, there's no saying if you would leave alive. Best case scenario, he allows you to enter and take the orb. Worst case, he kills you." Toru hesitantly answered, fidgeting.

"Then please, let us see him! We don't care if we die. At least we died trying to save our child." Wisteria shouted, furrowing her brows as she stood up. Igneous held back the woman, attempting to calm her down. And soon enough, the ground shook as a large shadow loomed over them from behind.

"WHY ARE THERE HUMANS HERE, GUARDIAN?" Scorpio's voice boomed. Wisteria and Igneous looked behind them to see a large Scorpion three times their size standing before them. Not only that but the scorpion talks!

"Are you Scorpio?" Wisteria bravely asked while Igneous looked at his wife as if she had three heads. 

"I AM. WHAT DO YOU HUMANS WANT?" The scorpion asked. 

"We want permission to enter your temple and take your orb." The woman replied without missing a beat nor stuttering.

Scorpio laughed, his voice echoing throughout the underpass. He snapped his claws, intimidating them. "GO HOME. YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO HAVE THE ORB. LEAVE! IF NOT, I WILL SNAP YOU INTO PIECES AND FEAST ON YOUR MEAT." He menacingly growled, putting his claws near the woman's face.

Igneous felt scared for his wife. He held the woman's arm, attempting to pull her away but Wisteria swatted her husband's hand, standing tall as she stared down the scorpion. Intriguing Scorpio.

"Then, so be it! We will not leave until we get that orb! It's either you kill us or let us have it." She firmly stated. "Please! Our intentions are good. We just want to save our daughter's life." Wisteria pleaded, kneeling down in front of the large scorpion. Igneous kneeled down as well, begging the scorpion to let them have the orb.

Toru shakily looked at the scorpion, unable to read his expression because one, he doesn't have a face. And two, he doesn't want to stare at the scorpion for too long. His looks scare him. Toru's eyes switched to look at the couple, kneeling and begging to the scorpion. How nice would it be for someone to really care for you, that they would die for you? 

Seeing the sad look in the younger Toru's eyes made Soul want to hug the poor boy. 

"TORU!" Scorpio called, snapping the young protector out of his thoughts. 

"Y-yes, sir?" Toru questioned, scared to know what his fellow guardian's judgment.

"TAKE THE MAN AWAY." He ordered, making Igneous snap his gaze towards the large scorpion as Wisteria stared at Toru, wide-eyed.

Toru hesitantly held the man's arm, pulling him up, dragging him away. "What is he going to do to my husband?" Wisteria sharply questioned, standing up. The scorpion didn't answer her as he placed a claw on the woman's forehead.

"YOUR HUSBAND WILL BE FINE. YOU SAID YOU WANT TO TAKE THE ORB. I WILL ESCORT YOU TO THE TEMPLE." Scorpio softly said. Well, as soft as he could with his natural, booming voice. "YOU HAVE COURAGE AND BRAVERY. YOU ARE WILLING TO PUT YOUR LIFE FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS, EVEN IF IT'S YOUR OWN KIN. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, YOUR HEART SPEAKS THE TRUTH."

Wisteria's eyes glistened as she looked up at the scorpion. "Thank you. Thank you so much." She cried. Scorpio only stared at the woman, gently patting his claws on the woman's head.

"COME NOW. WE ARE NOT FAR FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE TEMPLE. I SHALL ESCORT YOU THERE." Scorpio stated as he started to walk, the woman beside him following. "BY THE WAY, WHAT IS YOUR DAUGHTER'S NAME?"

"Her name's Vrxo." Wisteria answered. Though, the name came out as gibberish to Soul's ears.

The memory ended there as Soul felt her surroundings change back to normal.

"So, what did you see? Hopefully, nothing too embarrassing if I'm there." Toru nervously chuckled.

"Who knew you were afraid of Scorpio?" Soul teasingly commented. Toru blushed and was about to defend himself when the girl suddenly collapsed on the floor.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You guys are too noisy. If she wakes up grumpy, I'm blaming it on all of you."

"She won't hurt us. She loves us!"

"Yeah!"

"They have a point, bud."

"Whose side are you on, Lance?"

"Guys, shh! She's waking up."

"If she's grumpy, blame it on them." 

"I blame you, Eugene." Soul said, her voice raspy as she slowly sat up. Soul placed a hand on her head as a shine from the glass of a certain goggles caught her eyes. "WHERE'S VARIAN? IS HE ALRIGHT?" She worriedly questioned, standing up and scanning the room only to find no trace of the boy.

"Soul, calm down. You're going to hurt your head more." Rapunzel softly advised, reaching to touch the girl's shoulder but was angrily swatted away by the lavender-haired girl.

"Calm down? Forgive me for my rude tone, your highness, but Varian got stabbed by a giant stinger of a poisonous scorpion. You didn't see how much blood left his system. You didn't see how worse his state was before I healed his wound. You didn't know how helpless I felt while I watched him get hurt more. Toru might have given him an antidote, but who knew if Varian survived? For all we know, the poison already spread throughout his body, and he's going to die and, it will be all my fault!" Soul snapped, crying angry tears as she fell on her knees, breaking down.

"Your right. I don't know. But I do know one thing, and whatever happened is not your fault. Varian's alright. He's in Toru's room and is being tended to as we speak. "Rapunzel said as she hugged the girl.

"But it is! He almost died three times now because of me. First was when that shadow double of mine almost killed him because I left his side back in Aradia. The second was when he was about to be killed by Clara's double. I could have helped him, but instead, I just watched from my hiding spot. If you hadn't distracted the shadow back then, he would have died, and I just watched him get killed. And now, this." Soul listed, her voice cracking every now and then as she spoke. "This is why I didn't want him to come with me. I don't want to lose anyone anymore..." She whispered, crying onto the brunette's shoulders.

Kiera, Catalina, and Lance looked at each other with a sad expression as they intentionally declined the girl's request to make Varian join her.

"I'm sure if Varian was awake right now. He would say something along the lines of him getting hurt is not your fault. Plus, Varian is a tough cookie. He survived his experiments' explosions and a whole lot more when we temporarily defeated Zhan Tiri." Eugene stated in an attempt to comfort the crying girl. "He'll survive, Star Gazer. Have faith in the guy." He added, smiling warmly as he handed the girl a handkerchief. Not just any handkerchief, but the handkerchief Varian gave her when they were in Virgo's cave.

Soul took the handkerchief, wiping her tears before blowing her nose on it. Sniffling, she looked at everyone with big misty eyes. "Can I see him?" 

\-------------------

"Here, he is. Try to be quiet. He's stable and fine, just resting." Toru said before exiting the room. Soul spotted Varian on the bed, his shirt off with bandages around his stomach and head. Soul eyed the bruises on the boy's torso as she sat on the edge of the bed. 

"Chitter!" Soul almost screamed as a head of a certain raccoon popped out from a bundle of pillows, chittering at her. 

"Shhhh." The astrologer said, placing a finger on her lips, shushing Ruddiger. Soon after, Flick and Hoots entered the room as Hoots perched himself on Soul's shoulder, cuddling her cheek as a way to say, 'I'm glad you're alright.'

"Uggghhh..." 

Hearing someone groan, Soul turned to look at Varian and saw that the boy was slowly waking up. "Am I still alive?" He grunted, sitting up.

"Varian!" Soul shouted as she stood up. She opted to hug him but refrained herself from doing so, not wanting to hurt him any further. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like my experiments exploded on me, but ten times worse." Varian replied, flinching as he tried to sit up.

"Woah, easy there. You just got pierced through your stomach and hurled at a wall. Don't push yourself to sit." Soul warned as she helped the alchemist.

"It's fine. Anyways. What- Soul?" Varian stopped as he stared at the lavender-haired girl. He watched as her shoulders shook, and small cries left her mouth. "What's wrong?"

"I thought you were gonna die." She sniffled, her voice cracking. "I just watched you get stabbed and poisoned, then you were thrown to the wall, and you passed out, but I thought you died..." Soul cried as tears fell like waterfalls on her cheeks.

Smiling softly, he placed a hand over her hand. "Hey, I'm here, see? I'm still alive." Varian said, grinning as he wiped a few tears from the girl's eyes.

"You're not mad at me? I almost got you killed for the third time now. I-I could have helped, I-" Soul stopped what she was saying as the alchemist reached out to hug her.

"How could I be mad? What happened wasn't your fault. You didn't know that a shadow would disguise as Scorpio. And you couldn't have done something even if you knew." He softly stated, comforting the girl as he rubbed circles on her back.

"But the thing is, I could have done something! I could have used my magic to prevent him from doing you more harm. I could have saved you. " Soul cried as she buried her face into the boy's shoulders, hugging him tightly. 

"And you did. Soul, I wouldn't be breathing right now if you haven't used your magic to heal my wound earlier. Sure, the poison part was scary, but Toru came with an antidote, right? See? if it weren't for you, I would be dead right now." Varian proudly declared, pulling away from the girl, giving her a grateful smile. "Thank you."

The girl searched the boy's ocean-blue eyes for any sign of dishonesty but found none. Instead, she found sincerity and something else she can't put her finger on. Not taking the alchemist's words, Soul sobbed as she vigorously tried to stop her crying.

"I bet you see me as a cry-baby now from the number of times you caught me crying." She chuckled, her voice still quivering a little.

"Psh! Nah! Crying is a perfectly normal thing for humans." He denied, swiping the air with his hands. "It also shows how strong you are, so don't be ashamed of it. Plus, you really look adorable when you cry." He added, whispering the last part.

"Hmm?" Soul confusedly hummed, not hearing what the alchemist last said. "What was that?"

Blushing, Varian squeaked. "N-nothing!" Clearing his throat, he repeated. "Nothing, ahem."

"Well, if you say so." Soul hesitantly said as she raised a curious brow at the alchemist. "Well, I should probably let you rest. We're leaving tomorrow, and you should get some sleep to restore your lost energy." She instructed as she stood up, picking up her fox, who was busy playing with the alchemist's raccoon.

"Shouldn't YOU be the one who needs to restore their lost energy? From the looks of it, you used too much magic back there." Varian stated, emphasizing on 'you', smirking playfully.

"I think I restored enough energy to keep me awake." Soul replied as she rolled her eyes. "Plus, I already slept when I passed out so-"

"Wait! You passed out?" Varian asked, interrupting the astrologer from what she was saying. "You never told me you passed out?"

"Uhm, oh! Would you look at the time? No wonder I feel so tired." Soul exclaimed, feinting surprise as she looked at her clothed wrist as she pretended to yawn, stretching her arms out. "Bye! Goodnight!" She shouted as she exited the room, ignoring the boy's angry screams.

"Soul! I know you're lying. Seriously, you don't even have a watch!" Varian screamed, slamming his fists on the bed, huffing. After a few seconds of glaring at the open door, his eyes softened as his body remembered the girl's warmth when he hugged her.

"Chitter!" Ruddiger chittered as he climbed on his owner's chest. The raccoon confusedly stared at his owner, who was dreamily smiling with a wistful look in his eyes. Ruddiger looked at the door, then back at the boy before smirking knowingly.


	31. Chapter 30: Reversed Roles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY- ACK- I DIDN'T REALIZE I DIDN'T ADD CHAPTER 30. 
> 
> So uhm, yeah! Here it is!
> 
> and uh, next chapter, Chapter 55 will be up soon!  
> just got a bit of a busy and hectic schedule.

"You all cozy? Need a blanket? Pillows? Ruddiger?" Soul asked, holding up the raccoon in front of Varian's face, chittering.

"No, I'm fine. But I'll take Ruddiger, though." He answered as he took the raccoon off the girl's hands. "I'm fine, really. You don't need to baby me." 

"Yeah, but the least I can do is to keep you comfortable." The girl said as she took some pillows from her own couch, placing them on the bed Kiera and Catalina claimed, next to the alchemist. The two girls graciously offered their bed to the alchemist for the meantime, until he recovers. "There! Now, you're more cozier."

"You're not gonna stop until I say 'I'm satisfied with my care', huh? "

"Heh, you know it."

That was a few hours after they left Toru's cave and Stone Underpass. Currently, the group is set to head to Yellowridge Plains, where Sagittarius' temple is located. "So, the archer's peak is on September 18, which means we have a whole month and a half before the orb appears." Soul mumbled as she looked over her map. Her eyes darting around the map, tapping the tip of her pen on her chin as she thought.

"Hey, Soul. What'cha doing?" Rapunzel questioned, starting a conversation with the girl as she sat next to her.

"Oh! Um, hi, your highness. I was just checking the map. It seems that there's a town in Yellowridge Plains. We can stop there for the time being if we arrive too early. " Soul answered, slightly fidgeting. Even after the five months, she's been traveling with the princess, Soul was still not used to having a conversation with her idol.

"That's a great idea! Anyways, I'm curious about something." Rapunzel began as she fully seated herself on the couch, scooting closer to the lavender-haired girl. 

"What is it?" Soul asked, putting the map away, and focusing her attention on the princess.

Rapunzel was about to say something when they heard shouting from the people who were once playing at the back of the vehicle.

"You cheated!" Lance yelled, pointing an accusing finger at his adopted daughter.

"Nu-uh! I'm playing clean here. You're just mad you lost to a child." Kiera defended, crossing her arms as she shot a teasing smirk at the burly man.

Varian was about to say something when the black-haired child whispered something in his ear, making the alchemist's eyes go wide in shock as he glared at her. 

"What, what did she say?" Lance cautiously asked, his eyes darting back and forth towards his daughter and friend.

"Nothing. And, yeah, Kiera did no such thing. " Varian flatly answered as Kiera smirked victoriously.

"Alright, guys, Varian needs more rest so he can recover faster." Soul instructed as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Eh? I want to play more, and besides, I'm feeling great!" Varian smugly stated as he shuffled the deck. Soul stared at the alchemist with an unamused expression. Carefully, she sneaked up to his back as she poked a certain spot, causing the boy to yelp in surprise. "Ow!!! What was that for?" He shouted, glaring at the girl.

"That was payback from when you poked my ankle. Anyway, you need rest, Varian! You almost died yesterday. Give yourself a break." She scolded, taking the cards from the boy's hands, ignoring his protests. "I'll give you your cards back AFTER you have recovered."

Varian was about to complain more when Soul shot him a cold glare, causing everyone who saw her glare shiver in fright.

"I'd listen to her if I were you, little man. An angry wife is not someone to mess with." Lance whispered to Varian, making Varian's face go red. Varian glanced at the astrologer's face once more before huffing and flopping himself down on the bed, mumbling incoherent words under his breath.

"Wow! You're the second person I know who can scare people by just glaring." Catalina exclaimed as she sat on the couch across the astrologer's claimed couch.

"Who's the first person?" Soul queried as she sat back down next to Rapunzel.

"Cassandra." Catalina answered. Hearing the name made Rapunzel, Lance, and Varian tense up and look down sadly.

"Who's Cassandra?" Soul asked, genuinely curious as to who this Cassandra was.

"She was my best friend." Rapunzel answered, making Soul turn her head to look at the woman beside her. "She still is. It's just that we parted ways after Zhan Tiri disappeared, and we sort of lost touch." Rapunzel continued, smiling sadly. "But it's fine! I know deep down that we still think of each other as best friends. So. don't worry about it." The princess reassured as she saw the sympathetic look in the astrologer's eyes. 

"Let's stop here for lunch. Boy, am I famished!" Eugene exclaimed as he parked the caravan near a river. "Now, what's for lunch- What happened?" He asked upon entering the room when he saw his friends' sad faces.

"Nothing!" Rapunzel quickly replied, earning a confused look from her fiance.

"Okay. So, what's for lunch?" Eugene excitedly asked as he went to the small kitchenette the caravan has.

"I was thinking of making some vegetable soup with grilled fish." Lance answered as he followed his best friend. 

"We'll set up outside. Come on, girls!" Rapunzel ordered, gesturing for Catalina and Kiera to come with her.

"I'll help too!" Soul volunteered but was stopped by the two children.

"We'll help Raps. YOU stay here with Varian." Kiera commanded as Catalina nodded her head in agreement.

"What?!" Varian shouted, hearing what the child commanded at the astrologer.

"I don't mind staying with him here, but why don't you want me to help?" Soul confusedly asked, tilting her head to the side.

"What if Varian needs help with something-"

"NO, I DON'T!" Varian yelled, interrupting Catalina.

"-And no one is there to help him?" Catalina continued, ignoring the teen's protests.

"Basically, what Catalina and I are saying, you should take care of him until he recovers." Kiera simplified, leaning an arm on her sister's shoulders.

"Oh! Sure, why not? He was my caretaker when my ankle got hurt, so I'll be his caretaker in return." Soul enthusiastically agreed, determinedly raising a fist.

\----------------------------------------------------------

"Soul, I can use my hands. You don't have to feed me." Varian shyly said as he tried to push the spoon from the girl's hands away from him, blushing heavily.

"I know, but I want to! So, let me do this for you." Soul insisted as she fed Varian some soup. "And besides, aren't you happy you get to boss me around like I did when you were taking care of me?"

"No, not really. In fact, I'm really embarrassed you have to take care of me." The girl laughed at Varian's response as she scooped a spoonful of the soup as she neared the spoon towards the alchemist's mouth. "Now, say 'ah!'" The astrologer chirped.

"Soul!" Varian shouted, flustered at the girl's actions. It was a good thing that humans can't audibly hear heartbeats from afar. Because if they can, Varian would die in shame if the girl can hear how fast his heart was beating because of her. "How come you aren't embarrassed doing things like these? Especially to the opposite gender." He asked after he ate the soup from the spoon.

"Well, you're my friend, right? Why would I be embarrassed about taking care of you?" Soul answered as she stirred the soup with the spoon before scooping the last bit of soup. "And besides, that's what friends are for." She shyly added, holding up the spoon towards Varian.

The alchemist felt a twinge in his chest, hearing the word 'friend' come out of the girl's mouth. _Why am I feeling this way? Didn't I want to be her friend in the first place?_

"Varian? Varian? Hello? Earth to Varian!" Soul yelled, snapping a finger in front of the alchemist's face.

"Um- What?!" Varian stammered as he snapped out of his thoughts, looking at the astrologer, who had a worried look in her eyes.

"Are you okay? Was it something I said? I didn't mean to assume that we were friends." Soul apologized, playing with her thumbs as she looked up at the alchemist through her eyelashes.

"What? NO! No, I'm sorry, I was just surprised you called me your friend." Varian said, smiling softly.

"I think from the experiences we shared together, almost dying together." Varian let out a soft laugh from this. "And from the number of times I openly cried in front of you, I think it's safe to say that I consider you as my friend." Soul admitted as tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Woohoo! I finally got you to be my friend." The alchemist happily cheered as he danced a little, making the girl giggle from the boy's antics. "I didn't know that it would take five months to be friends with someone."

"Hush, child. The only reason I keep pushing you and the others away, was because I was scared of what you guys will think of me if you knew I could use magic." She shyly said. "Plus, I didn't know if I could trust you yet."

"Still, though." Varian chuckled, running a hand through his hair, looking away from the girl. Looking at the boy, Soul felt her cheeks heat up as she watched how Varian messed his hair up. "Has no one ever told you that staring at someone is considered rude?" Varian said, smirking as he gave the girl a sideways glance.

"What! I was- I was just...." Varian laughed as Soul struggled to form words, stammering, and looking around, avoiding his gaze.

"I was just teasing. I didn't know you were this easy to tease." 

"Not funny!" Soul pouted, puffing her cheeks. This time, Varian was the one who blushed as she thought that the girl was really adorable with her cheeks all puffed up. After a while, Soul started to laugh, Varian following after watching the girl laugh. "Now, hurry up and finish your soup." She instructed as she held the spoon back up, the alchemist happily eating the soup.

"Are you two done flirting?" Eugene teasingly asked as he leaned on the door frame of the caravan. The alchemist almost choked as he covered his face, attempting to hide his blush as he glared at his friend.

"Flirting? Oh, no, we were just teasing each other." Soul said as she stood up from Varian's bed, holding the now-empty bowl. "Now, excuse me. I want to see if there's berry juice."

Peeking his head out the caravan, making sure that the girl was gone, Eugene whistled loudly as he walked towards the young alchemist's bed. "So, what's up with you and Star Gazer?" Eugene asked, drawing out the 'o'.

"Nothing. As Soul said, I was just teasing her." Varian replied, averting his eyes away from the older man.

"Ha! I know that look on your face. You like her, don't you?" Eugene prodded, smirking at the alchemist. Varian stayed silent as the ex-thief cheered. "Aww, little hair stripe is growing up!" He cooed as he messed Varian's hair.

"Hey! Stop messing with my hair, and no. I don't like her. At least not like what you think." Varian denied. Eugene gave him a look, raising a brow at the boy. "Well, I'm not sure yet."

"I knew it!"

"No! It's just that I've only known her for five months. For all I know, this could just be a silly crush that would pass soon." Varian explained, rubbing his arm.

"Kid, me and Rapunzel got together in one day. Look where we are now. About to get married as soon as we defeat Zhan Tiri for good." Eugene deadpanned, crossing his arms.

"Well, we're different. This is different." Varian stated, furrowing his brows downwards.

"How different?" The man prodded.

"For one, we're younger than you and Raps. Second, we-" The second line he was about to say pained him a little, but he continued nonetheless. "We don't have time for love, like you and Rapunzel. We need to defeat Zhan Tiri first."

Eugene sadly looked at his younger friend, sitting on the edge of his bed. "And after we defeat Zhan Tiri?"

"I'll think about it. But for now, I have to set these feelings aside." Varian replied in a low voice. "Plus, I just got her to say that we're friends. I don't want to lose that now." He added as he smiled at the older man, though his smile didn't reach his eyes. 

"Cheer up, buddy! We're close to defeating Zhan Tiri. Just.." Eugene stopped as he counted on his fingers. " Only seven more orbs to go!" He continued enthusiastically.

"Actually, it's eight more." Varian corrected.

"Tomato, Tomato." Eugene said, pronouncing the two differently. "We're still close to defeating that darn demoness. Then you'll be able to decide on your feelings." He cheered as he unconsciously patted the alchemist on the back harshly, causing Varian to grunt as his body jolted from the pain.

"Oops.."

"Eugene..." A voice called. Slowly turning to look, Eugene flinched as he saw the lavender-haired astrologer glaring at him sharply. 

Gulping, Eugene shakily raised a hand, greeting the girl. "H-hey, Star Gazer."

"If Varian fails to recover quickly, I'll make sure to switch you with Maximus' place!"

"EEEEKKKKKK!" 


	32. Chapter 31: Yellowridge Farm

"We're here!" Soul exclaimed as she exited the caravan after Eugene pulled the reins to stop Max and Oren from moving.

"Wow! This place is magnificent." Rapunzel awed as she followed the astrologer outside. The rest of the group followed behind her. Grass covered the land beside the road with some cows and goats grazing on the field. There was also a perfect view of Mount Ina on the left side of the plains.

"Isn't it?" Soul agreed, nodding her head vigorously.

"I don't get what you're so excited about, I mean, sure, the place is beautiful but, it's just land." Varian stated as he went to stand next to the lavender-haired girl.

"Are you forgetting the fact that I never left Melodiah forest?" Soul asked in an unamused tone, narrowing her eyes at the boy.

Varian mentally facepalmed at what he said. "Oh, yeah. I'm sorry." He apologized as he rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. The girl rolled her eyes in response as she turned her head back to admire the view.

"I can't help but feel excited. After all, this is my first time seeing such a place. I mean, come on! Look at it." She excitedly said as Varian turned to look at the same spot the girl was looking. "Isn't the view breathtaking?"

Varian glanced down to look at the girl's face, and he found himself captivated with the girl's amazed look, her eyes sparkling.

"Yeah." He replied though he wasn't talking about the view.

Meanwhile, with Lance and the others. They were watching the two while trying to hold their squeals.

"They just look so cute!" Lance cooed, clasping his palms together.

"Shhh! Be quiet, Lance. They might hear us." Catalina whisper shouted, placing her index finger on her lips.

"How about we all play matchmaker?" Kiera suggested as everyone agreed, except for Eugene.

" I think that's a bad idea, Angry." Eugene voiced, furrowing his brows upwards causing his friends to look at him quizzically.

"Woah, usually you would agree. What made you change your mind?" Lance questioned.

"Eugene bit his lip, not really wanting to tell the others what Varian told him. He would break the boy's trust if he did. "Let's just say it would only cause Varian more stress." He said.

"What do you mean?" Kiera prodded. Eugene felt a nervous sweat drip on his forehead as the black-haired child gave him a questioning glare.

"Alright, everyone, let's go back inside. Soul, how far is the town from where we are?" Rapunzel instructed as she asked the younger girl. Eugene sighed in relief as Kiera left him alone after giving him a look that said, 'we're not done with this conversation yet.'

"Not too far. I'll sit with Eugene to help lead the way." Soul volunteered as Eugene happily agreed. Varian pouted a bit when he heard that the girl was not going to be inside the caravan during the travel to the town.

"Alright, Star Gazer, where to?" The older man asked, cracking his knuckles as he held on to the reins.

"Are you the one pulling the caravan?" Soul questioned, raising a brow.

"No."

"Max, Oren, please head straight." Soul requested before giving the man beside her a smug look. The two horses let out a neigh as they moved in sync.

"You really hate me, huh?" Eugene rhetorically questioned, folding his arms as he squinted his eyes at the girl beside him.

"Me? Hate you?" Soul asked back in a mocking tone, putting a hand on her chest. "I do."

Gasping, Eugene dramatically clenched the cloth where his heart should be, feigning hurt. "How you wound me! After all the things I've done for you?"

"You mean how much you used to talk behind my back about me?"

"Okay, touché, and I said I was sorry!" Soul laughed as Eugene rolled his eyes at the girl.

"Go left." Soul instructed.

After a few minutes of traveling, they came across a small lake on the left with a temple in the middle. "Is that?" Eugene asked as he squinted his eyes to see the temple clearly.

"It is!" Soul shouted as she looked to where the older man was looking. "Sagittarius's temple!"

"It's in the middle of the lake." Varian stated as he looked at the window.

"Oh, is it?" Kiera sarcastically questioned, causing Varian to glare at the small child.

"I wish Sagittarius' peak was nearer. If it was, we could have been going to Capricorn's orb by now." Eugene complained, sighing deeply.

"I don't like rushing things, but I have to agree with you. If we could collect the orbs much faster, I'd prefer that than waiting for months." Soul agreed. Eugene pulled on the reins as Soul kept instructing the horses where to go, and soon after, they arrived at a small town.

"Welcome!" A woman in her 30s greeted, startling Eugene and Soul. "Oops! Sorry, did I startle ye' two?" She sheepishly asked in a southern accent.

"Heh, you did, but it's fine! Right?" Soul nodded. "So, um. Hello. May we know where we are?" Eugene queried as he got off the boot to shake the woman's hand.

"Why, yer' in Yellowridge Town, of course! I'm Isabel, the town's mayor and owner of Yellowridge Farm." She introduced, violently shaking Eugene's hand. Soul snickered at the man's tired form, but her eyes widen as Isabel took her hands and shook them as well. "What brings you to Yellowridge? We hardly get any tourists!"

"Pleasure to meet you. My name's Eugene, and the girl is Soul." Eugene introduced. "And that lovely woman there is my life. The princess of Corona, Rapunzel." He added as he spotted the brunette exit the caravan.

"Soul?" Isabel questioningly mumbled.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you!" Rapunzel cheerily greeted, waving at the woman.

"So, as for your question earlier, we're here to-" Isabel held up a hand, interrupting Eugene with a neutral expression on her face as she gestured for the group to follow her.

"Follow me. You can bring yer' caravan with you'." Was all the ginger-haired woman said as she turned around. Eugene, Rapunzel, and Soul exchanged confused looks as they followed the woman into the town, making Maximus and Oren move alongside them, dragging the caravan.

After a while of following Isabel, they arrived in front of a garage. "You can leave yer' caravan here. I'll bring the horses to a stable. Bring yer' things as well. You lot will be stayin' at my house in yer' stay here. Once yer' done, enter that house over there. " She instructed, pointing at the house behind the garage, surrounded by wheat fields. "I'll be waitin'." She said before leaving the group to pack their stuff.

"Wasn't she cheery just this earlier?" Soul asked Eugene as they watched the woman leave. 

"I don't know." Eugene replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, let's get packing!"

\------------------------------------------

"Eugene said that y'all from Corona. The last time I encountered a Coronian was seven or eight years ago." Isabel started as she pulled a letter out of a drawer. Her back turned from the people sitting on the couch. "I believe this is for you, Soul." She said as she gave the lavender-haired girl a letter.

Taking the letter, Soul checked who the sender was and saw that it was Samuel who sent it. "It's from Samuel." She informed the others before opening the letter and reading its contents.

"Dear Soul,

Clara and I forgot to tell you guys. You need to mention the guardian who sent you to the next guardian to avoid trouble. Sorry!

~Love, Samuel!"

"With a chibi drawing of him in a wacky pose drawn at the bottom." Soul read with a plain voice, deadpanning at the letter. "Almost got us killed before, but okay, thanks for letting us know."

"So, what brings you lot here to Yellowridge Plains?" Isabel questioned once again, this time with a smile on her face.

Soul's face lit up as she stood up and faced the older woman. "Sent by Toru, Scorpio's guardian. We are here to ask permission to take the archer, Sagittarius' orb, on the day of the peak." She stated, bowing 90 degrees. Isabel laughed as she unconsciously patted the girl's head harshly.

"Yer' adorable!" She cooed. "Well, anyway. I'll introduce myself properly this time. My name's Isabel, and I'm Sagittarius' guardian."

"Are you alright?" Rapunzel whispered to Soul. The girl only nodded as she fixed her hair.

Everyone's heads turned when they heard the door open, and a teenager around Varian's age with red hair came in. "Hey, mom! I can't find-" The boy stopped talking as he saw Soul in the middle of the living room next to his mother. "Why hello there~." He greeted in a flirty tone, smiling at the girl. "What's your name, sugarplum?" 

Soul tilted her head at the boy. Was he talking to her? She looked at her friends before turning her head to look at him, pointing to herself. "Umm...me?" She asked.

"Who else? My name's Travis." He introduced, taking Soul's hand and placing a soft kiss on top. "Lovely to meet you."

Varian's eye twitched in disgust as he glared at the tomato head. His knuckles turning white from clenching his fists too hard.

"Um, my name's Soul. And I can't say the same to you." Soul replied as she pulled her hand away from the boy, wiping the top of her hand on her dress.

"This is my son, Travis." Isabel introduced, placing a hand on her son's shoulder. "Travis, these people would be stayin' here for the time being until Sagittarius' peak." 

"I sure hope that they would be helpin' around, as well?" Travis chuckled.

"Sure! We would be happy to help out around the farm. It's the least we can do for letting us stay here." Rapunzel agreed, looking at everyone, waiting for their opinion.

"Why not? Count me in!" Eugene agreed.

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

"Well, that settles it!" Isabel cheered, slapping her son's back in victory. "Show em' their rooms, why don'tcha? If you guys need somethin', I'll be here downstairs, cookin' supper." She said before leaving the living room to go to the kitchen, leaving Travis with the Coronians.

"Shall we head upstairs?" He suggested.

\-------------------------------

"We have plenty of unused rooms here. My siblings used to live here, but they all left the nest, leaving me and ma' here to run the farm ourselves." Travis told everyone as he helped Soul carry her bags. "Okay! Your' highness, this room is yours, and you'll be sharin' it with your lovebug. You, kids, this room. You and you, in this room. And you." Travis stopped and turned to look at the astrologer. "My sugarplum will be stayin' in this room. It's right next to mine so, you can holler me anytime." He stated, extending his thumb and pinkie finger out, waving it next to his ear.

Soul gave the teen a distasteful look as she took her bags from him. "Thank you. I'll unpack my stuff now. See you later." She said as she slammed the door on the redhead's face.

Travis felt everyone staring at him, and sure enough, they were. Varian, on the other hand, was glaring daggers at the boy to which the teen ignored. "I'll make her warm up to me sooner." He said as he went downstairs.

"Who does he think he is? It took me five months to get Soul to warm up to me, and he's declaring that he'll make her warm up to him sooner!" Varian ranted as Lance unpacked his stuff in their shared room. Ruddiger chittered at his owner as he climbed up the boy's shoulders, patting his cheek.

"Someone's jelly!" Lance teased as he smirked at the fuming alchemist, pacing back and forth in the room.

"I am not! I'm just frustrated-"

"Jelly."

"That he's not taking Soul's feelings-"

"Jeallly~."

"Into consideration and that-"

"You're jealous!"

"Stop that!" Varian yelled, shutting Lance up. "Anyways. Can't he see he's making her uncomfortable? It's so obvious that she's not interested in him." 

"Where's your proof? Remember, Soul didn't want anything to do with you as well when we started on this journey. Who's to say that Travis can't make her fall for him?" Lance stated as he laid down on the bed.

"Who's side are you on?" Varian barked as he glared at the man.

"I'm just saying! Soul's a teenager with rampaging hormones like you. She's bound to like someone in the opposite gender." 

Varian looked down sadly as he sat on the edge of his bed, his anger subsiding as Ruddiger kept patting his cheek in a comforting manner.

"Are you admitting that you have a crush on her? You were asking whose side I was on earlier. That implies something, little man." Lance seriously asked.

"I don't know. I'm choosing to ignore it for the time being. We're on this journey to look for the orbs and the stardust, not for me to look for love." Varian replied, his voice low, and Lance could hear the pain in his voice. So, this is what Eugene meant. "But, I guess I won't deny that I am jealous." He admitted under his breath.

"Hah! I knew you were jealous." The burly man cheered. Varian sadly sighed as Lance stood up and sat beside him, hugging him with one arm. "I think it's very mature of you to set aside your feelings so you can focus on the task at hand. But know that you're human too, and it's normal for everyone to find love in the most unexpected times. Just don't try your hardest to push it away, it'll only hurt you more." 

Varian leaned his head on Lance's shoulder, patting the man's arm that was hanging on his shoulder. "Thanks, Lance. And don't worry. I won't." He replied as he gave the man a small smile.

"No problem, Varian."

"Hey, guys! Isabel already called us down for dinner." Soul informed as she knocked on the door.

"We'll be right down!" Varian answered.

"Come on. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" Lance laughed as he rubbed his stomach.

"Stay away from Max and Oren then. We need them to pull the caravan."


	33. Chapter 32: Battle for Hearts

August went painfully slow for the alchemist. It was now September, and he was excited for the 19th day for September 18 is the day of the peak and that means by September 19, they would finally leave the dreadful place. Don't get him wrong, Varian loved living on the farm. It was quite different from his life back in Old Corona, and it finally gave him the chance to exercise a bit. The only problem was that tomato-head, Travis. 

Varian and Travis would go on silent battles for a certain astrologer's attention and praise, to which Travis would always win. Unbeknownst to the alchemist. The only reason Soul puts up with the red-haired cowboy, was because she thought it would be rude not to go along with his silly attempts of courtship. Also because they graciously offered to let them stay in their home when they could just stay in the town's inn. Currently, our beloved astrologer is brushing Maximus' coat in the stables until she was interrupted by two bothersome boys.

"Fine mornin' we havin', ain't it, Sugarplum?" Travis greeted in a flirty tone, smirking at the girl. Soul and Maximus shared a look of disgust before turning towards the male, faking a sweet, closed-eyed smile.

"Good morning! How are you?" She greeted, waving a hand when Travis took her hand and placing a kiss.

"Well, I'm feelin' better than a wilted flower now that you're here." He flirted. An irk mark appeared at the girl's forehead as she hastily pulled her hand away, placing it behind her back, and wiped it on her dress.

"Right, um. Excuse me, but I have a set of chores I need to finish." Soul lied, picking up a bucket full of water soap, walking away from the boy when a hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

"Don't worry about the chores. I'll finish em' for ya'." Travis said as he took the bucket from the girl's hands. Soul was about to object when Varian coughed behind her.

"Soul's not helpless, Travis. She can do her chores much better than you." Varian stated as he stood next to the astrologer, crossing his arms.

"That's no way to treat a lady, makin' her do chores meant for men. Explains why you don't have any relationships." The red-haired teen replied while picking his fingernails. 

"I'm not making her do the chores all by herself. I'm just going to help her." 

"What's the difference?"

"The difference is that at least I acknowledge that she's no damsel in distress that needs someone doing her work for her." Varian answered as he grabbed the bucket from Travis, but the cowboy only tightened his grip, and the two started an all-out game of tug of war.

"Guys-" Soul started but was ignored as the two kept on tugging and pulling. 

"Guys?"

"Please, stop that."

"WOULD YOU TWO JUST STOP IT ALREADY?!" Soul snapped, starting to get irritated. Varian accidentally let go of the bucket when he heard the astrologer's tone, causing the bucket to spill its contents on Soul. Why on Soul, and not on Travis? When Varian let go of the bucket, Travis tried to direct the bucket away from him but accidentally threw the bucket on the girl.

"Oh, no...." Varian whispered, backing away.

"This. is. THE. LAST STRAW!" Soul yelled, causing the two boys to back away from the girl, frightened. "This silly fight the two of you have better stop, right now! Seriously, this has been going on the whole month, and it's driving me nuts."

"What fight?" Travis lied, sheepishly smiling as he swung an arm around Varian's neck, Varian doing the same. "See? We're not fightin'."

"Yeah! Boys just sometimes go on small, harmless contests, because....we're boys?" Travis gave Varian a look, mentally facepalming at his horrible attempt of lying.

"Oh, really?" Soul asked, folding her arms on her chest.

"Yes, really."

"Then what happened the day after we arrived was just a little contest?"

*August 7*

"Good mornin', Sugarplum. Did ya' have a good night's sleep?" Travis greeted as he pulled the chair next to the girl. When he was about to sit, Varian already sat on the chair he pulled while smugly sipping on hot cocoa.

"Why, good morning Travis." Varian greeted, smirking. Travis scowled as he went to sit on the chair across from the girl while glaring at the black-haired teen.

"Good morning, and yeah, the blanket was so comfy~!" Soul answered, putting a hand on her cheek as she remembered how soft the blankets were. Probably made from the fleece of the sheep she saw.

"Good, I'm glad you like the blanket I made." Travis stated, grabbing a piece of toast and spreading some marmalade on the bread.

"You made the blanket?" The girl asked in an amazed tone.

"Ya bet I did! I made all of the blankets used in this town. All were made with tender, lovin' care." He proudly declared. Soul looked at the cowboy in front of her in awe as Varian glared at him.

"Ahem, why not just make them hot running water?" Varian suggested as he took a bite off his ham sandwich.

"How in tarnation would I make hot runnin' water? That's impossible." Travis asserted, giving the alchemist a confused look.

"It's not impossible, really. I mean, I did it." The alchemist bragged. "Not to brag, though."

"How come I didn't know this?" Soul wondered as she looked at the boy beside her.

"How about when we go back in Corona, I'll hook your house up with hot running water as well?" Varian suggested, leaning on his arm, looking in the girl's eyes.

"That would be great!" Soul exclaimed, clasping her hands together. Varian glanced at the fuming tomato, throwing him a small smirk as he continued to sip on his drink.

"That- that was the truth." Travis denied, looking down.

"Then how about the week after that?"

*August 16*

Soul was milking some cows in the barn while Travis and Varian were chopping some wood in front of the said barn. Ruddiger and Flick running circles around the boys. Hearing someone whistling, Soul turned her head to look at the boys to see Travis flexing his arms before chopping up some firewood. The lavender-haired girl looked at the cow she was milking in disgust before turning back to look at the cowboy, clapping her hands and giving him a totally true smile.

Travis gave Varian a smirk as he continued to chop up some wood. Thinking of a way to impress the girl, Varian got some materials and continued to assemble something. Travis confusedly watched the alchemist and looked even more confused when Varian was done.

"What in tarnation is that?" Travis mumbled.

"Hey, Soul!" Varian called. Soul looked at the boy and saw him holding what looked like a small invention. 'Watch this." Varian placed a piece of wood in the machine. Turning the machine on, the wood got chopped up instantly with no muscle work needed. The alchemist placed his hands on his hips, smiling proudly.

"Um, Varian, is that supposed to happen?" Travis asked as he pointed at the machine that was violently shaking. Varian's face fell as he shouted for everyone to take cover, and minutes later, the machine exploded, causing one of the machine parts to hit Travis on the head.

"Travis!" Soul worriedly called as she ran to the red-haired boy, checking his head. "Are you alright? Varian!"

Varian flinched when Soul glared at him as she helped the cowboy up. "I... The invention failed."

"You know not to use a complicated invention right after inventing it without testing it first. One of you could have been in a much worst state." She scolded. Varian's shoulders fell as a frown appeared on his face, shyly looking down. "Since it was your fault for putting Travis out, you're going to be the one who will continue his chores. Are we clear?"

"Yes." Varian answered. Soul nodded her head in approval before turning to look at the teen leaning on her.

" Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine, just a bit...woozyy." Varian angrily watched the two as Soul and Travis made their way into the farmhouse. 

Hearing chittering beside him, Varian looked down, seeing Ruddiger and Flick looking up at him with an unamused expression on their faces. "What?" The two pets shook their heads disapprovingly, Making Varian groan in irritation. Not just because of Travis, but also because of the additional chores.

"Um, that was an accident." Varian reasoned, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Let's not forget the cooking fiasco." Soul shouted, causing both of the boys' faces to fall.

*August 20*

A few days later, Isabel asked everyone who would like to take on cooking duty. Varian volunteered wholeheartedly, but a certain tomato cowboy took it as a challenge, and he volunteered to cook as well. 

"Can you even cook?" Varian sincerely asked, not trusting the cowboy's cooking skills with the look that his mother gave him when he volunteered. 

"Of course I can, Beaver teeth." Travis barked. "I could probably cook a thousand times better than you. I'm going to whip up the best grilled cheese and tomato soup! And Soul would be so darn impressed, she'd finally say yes to me. " He declared, smoothing his hair.

"Hey! Don't call me that! Only Soul's allowed to call me that." Varian barked back, his voice lowering at the last part. "And I doubt that!"

"Want to bet on it?" The red-haired boy taunted, narrowing his eyes towards Varian. Glaring.

"Bring it!" Varian replied, glaring back. Lance, who was watching the two teenagers, swore he saw lightning lashing at each other from their eyes. Their bodies were surrounded by red and cyan flames, respectively.

"This is not going to end good." The man mumbled, worried about the kitchen.

\------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm famished! I'm excited to see what Varian cooked up." Eugene stated, patting his stomach.

"I'm also excited to taste Travis' cooking. He doesn't seem the type to cook." Rapunzel exclaimed, stretching her arms.

"Because he doesn't." Isabel said in a scared tone. Rapunzel's eyes went wide as she gulped.

"I don't care who cooks. I smelt grilled cheese earlier!" Soul exclaimed as her eyes sparkled, slightly drooling at the thought of the cheesy goodness. "Grilled cheese~." She moaned. Eugene laughed as he watched the young girl's mind go to grilled cheese land.

"Just remember to save us some, Star Gazer." He said, ruffling the girl's hair.

"I'm with Isabel on this. I'm scared." Lance stated, remembering what he saw earlier.

"What's there to get scared? If Travis can't cook, at least we have Varian to-" A scream interrupted what Eugene was saying. Everyone rushed towards the kitchen to see that the kitchen was in shambles. Cheese and tomato soup painted the walls and floor, a piece of bread was stuck on the ceiling, and the chefs were on the floor, wrestling while covered in tomato soup.

"TRAVIS CORBIN CUNNINGHAM, WHAT IN TARNATION IS THE MEANING OF THIS MESS?" Isabel roared, causing Varian and Travis to stop and stand up from the floor.

"Varian, what happened here?" Rapunzel shouted as she looked around the messy room. 

"Explain yourselves!" Isabel commanded, crossing her arms with authority, leering at the two.

"It was his fault." The two said at the same time while pointing at the other.

SMACK!

"CLEAN THIS UP AND NO LUNCH FOR THE BOTH OF YOU!"

"Yes, ma'am."

"And there's many more to mention!"

"Look, that was really his fault!" Varian and Travis said at the same time, pointing at each other.

"Just stop! Look, please just leave me alone." Soul pleaded, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Okay, I'll stop." Travis said, perking the alchemist's ears. "BUT, will you go on a date with me?" He added, kneeling and holding is hand out. 

Soul froze in her spot, looking down at the teenager with a huge blush on her face. She knew the boy always flirted with her, but she didn't know that he was actually serious with his attempts.

The alchemist was surprised at the tomato-head, not expecting him to ask the girl out on a date. "I advise not to say yes, to that." Varian suggested, holding up his index finger.

"Why not?" Travis queried, glaring at the boy.

"Well, she's only known you for a month. As her friend, I have the responsibility to not let her go out with strangers she just met." Varian defended. 

"Friend, huh?" The tomato head provoked. Varian's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as he prepared himself for his answer.

"Y-yes! What's wrong with that?"

"So, you had a contest with ME for Her attention because you're her FRIEND?" Soul's eyes turned to look at the alchemist, who was furiously blushing.

"I- I...Know what, just forget it! Go ahead and go on a date with him! See if I care." Varian shouted as he ran out of the stable.

"Varian!" Soul called. She was about to follow the alchemist, but Travis stopped her from moving.

"So? What do you say? You can think of it as just a friendly date." Travis questioned, staring intently at the girl. Soul's eyebrows furrowed as she looked back to where the alchemist ran. "Don't mind him. I bet he's still just sleepy. So?"

"Fine." Soul replied, giving in. "But! It's a friendly date. Varian's right. I don't know you well enough to go on an actual date with you."

"Fair enough. I look forward to our 'friendly date'." Travis said, waving goodbye. Once his back was turned from the girl while walking away, a small smirk formed on his lips.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

"We'll be back later, ma!" Travis called as he and Soul exited the farmhouse. Isabel waved goodbye, crying in her apron as Rapunzel comforted the woman.

"My son's all grown up now!!!" She cried.

"There, there." Rapunzel cooed, rubbing circles on the woman's back.

"You alright, Varian?" Eugene softly asked as he glanced at the pouting boy by the stairs.

"I'm fine." The alchemist answered in a low voice before standing up and going to his and Lance's shared room. Lance and Eugene shared a sad look as they watched their friend sulkily walk up the stairs.

\---------------------------------------

"So, what are we doing here? I thought we were going to town?" Soul questioned as Travis led her outside town. "But I have to admit the sky looks so beautiful out here in the open." When the cowboy didn't say anything, Soul turned around to see almost five shadow beasts behind the boy.

"Mistress is wrong. She said you weren't naive, but she's completely wrong! Get her!" Travis or a shadow, who looked like Travis, commanded as the shadow beasts lunged at the girl. Soul barely dodged them, and she was quite thankful that she didn't heed Rapunzel's advice of dressing cutely or whatever and decided to dress normally. Imagine if I wore that cute dress, it would get completely ruined because of this. Soul looked at the shadow Travis, who was laughing maniacally. I should have listened to Varian.

"Accenderet!" Fire shot out of her hands as she aimed at a shadow beast but missed. Gritting her teeth, she tried again, but she kept missing as the shadows kept moving. Soul could have burned the grass to make things quicker, but she didn't want to cause a fire. She could have also used her butterflies, but the shadow beasts were too big for the butterflies to work.

"Kill her!" Shadow Travis shouted as the beasts growled and ran towards Soul. 

I never tried this before, but it's worth the shot. Soul thought as she straightened her stance. Taking a deep breath, she pointed two fingers at a shadow beast before shouting. "ACCENDERET!" Fire shot out of her fingers like a gun, hitting the shadow beast center on the chest.

The beast screamed as it dispersed. Soul looked down on her hands before turning to look back at Shadow Travis. Her eyes held a much more determined gaze than earlier. "Accenderet!" One by one, she hit the beast, dispersing them until it was only Shadow Travis left.

"What have you done to my beasts?" Travis yelled as he lunged at the girl.

"What have YOU done to the real Travis?" Soul yelled back, blocking the shadow's punch with her arm, wincing at the pain. She then threw a punch at him, but the shadow was more experienced in fighting as he caught the girl's hand and flipping her over his shoulder. Soul let out a pained scream as she landed on her back, but quickly standing up, throwing another punch. But before the shadow caught her again, she switched hands, catching the shadow off guard, successfully landing a hit. "I said, what did you do to the real Travis?" She shouted.

"Why should I tell you anything?" He answered, kicking the girl on her stomach, causing her to fly off a few meters away from where she originally was. Soul tried to stand up, but shadow Travis pressed his foot on her stomach, keeping her down. "Now, where should I stab you first?" He rhetorically asked himself as his left hand turned into a blade.

"Get off me!" Soul screamed, trying to take off the shadow's foot, but he only pressed his foot down harder, causing Soul to scream in pain more.

"Now, say hello to Demanitus for me, little VWCUGVW." Shadow Travis stated as he brought down the blade on the girl's chest. Soul stopped moving as the shadow removed his foot on the girl's stomach, smiling. "Mistress would be so proud of me. Now, the others are next -"

"You say hello to Demanitus for me. But I think you won't be seeing him." A voice smugly said behind him. The shadow felt his disguise's chest get pierced by ice. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Soul behind him, holding an ice spear.

"How are you alive?" He asked. Soul gestured at what he stabbed, and when he did, he saw that it was snow.

"A new spell I was dying to test. It was good that the spells work even if you just whisper them. Now, goodbye!" Pushing the spear even further, the shadow reverted to his old form, dispersing as Soul used accenderet one more time. 

"SOUL!" a voice called. It was too dark to see, but Soul could make out a form of a boy coming towards her.

"Varian? What are you-" Soul was cut off by Varian hugging her. The girl noticed that he had scratches and was about to ask where he got them when the boy spoke.

"I saw Travis taking you out of the town so, I thought I should follow just in case." He said as he buried his face into the girl's shoulders, tightening his hold around her. "I'm sorry. I couldn't come sooner. I was held back by some shadow beasts." 

Soul's eyes softened as she returned the hug, hugging him just as tight. "No, I'm sorry. If I listened to you, this probably wouldn't have happened."

"It's fine. We all make mistakes for love." Varian replied, shrugging his shoulders as he pulled away.

"Eww, you thought I liked him? I only said yes because Travis said I could think of it as a friendly date. And besides, a trip to the town would have been nice as a stress reliever." Soul stated, crinkling her nose. "Also, he was too full of himself. I hate boys like that."

Varian softly laughed when he noticed the ice spear Soul was holding. "Where did you get that spear?" He asked.

"Oh, it's a new spell I learned. It costs a lot of energy. That's why I'm having a bit of a migraine right now. It's called 'hastam glacies' meaning Ice spear. The one I used to substitute my body was the trickiest of all. I wasn't even sure if it was going to work." Soul explained.

"You always keep surprising me." Varian stated, shaking his head.

"Well, I am no damsel in distress." She laughed, causing the alchemist's eyes to widen. "Anyways, we need to tell Isabel that the Travis we were staying with was a shadow."

"Poor Isabel, she'd be heartbroken." Varian sadly said. Soul only sighed in return as they went back to the town.

\--------------------------------------------------------

"I always knew that wasn't my Travis..." Isabel said. Sadly smiling as she tended to Varian's wounds. Why Varian's? Well, the poor boy took the most damage than Soul.

"What do you mean?" Soul asked as she placed a bag of ice on her stomach, flinching slightly from the cold.

"Travis ran away three months ago. I don't know where he went, but I always knew he would come runnin' back." Isabel explained. "The day he came in here, I held back a sob, not wantin' to embarrass him or myself. That night I confronted him, but he kept dodgin' the question. I knew I should have been more careful, especially with the shadow henchmen. But as a mother who missed her son, I just let it happen, at least I got to see my boy again."

Everyone was silent when the woman finished her story. Finishing up the last of his bandages, Isabel stood up and excused herself out of the living room.

"I feel sorry for Isabel." Rapunzel spoke, solemnly looking down on her lap.

"There's not much we can do. Even if we can help Isabel, we have a mission to do. I'm sure the real Travis would go back. Just give him some time." Soul stated as she sat up.

"Well, let's just go to sleep. I think we all need a good night's sleep." Eugene suggested. Everyone bid their goodnights as they went to their respective rooms.

Meanwhile, outside the town, a mysterious cloaked person kept a watchful eye towards the temple. The person sat on the doorstep of the temple, taking out a locket with a picture of a woman and a boy. Sighing sadly, he stared at the sky as a small tear escaped his eyes.


	34. Chapter 33: Sagittarius' Peak

" Is everyone ready?" Soul asked as she put on her satchel, looking at everyone in the room. The group let out a chorus of yes. "Alright, then. Let's move out!"

"You youngin's best be careful. Shadow henchmen are one thing, but shadow beasts are much more dangerous. " Isabel warned.

"We will. And don't worry too much, Isabel. Soul and Varian made us these cool flash bombs to help us defeat those nasty shadow demons." Rapunzel reassured, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "We'll return safe and sound. I promise."

Varian visibly winced at the princess' words, causing Soul to look at him in confusion.

"Go now, before you miss the peak. Feel free to borrow some of the horses in the stable. They could take you to the temple much faster." The woman said as she ushered the group outside. " I'll take care of the girls and your pets."

"Thank you, Miss Isabel. We'll be back before you know it!" Soul yelled before she went to the stables to borrow a horse, waving.

"Take care." Isabel whispered, waving as well. She then looked up at the sky where the archer's constellation is, her brow furrowing upwards. " Watch over them, Sagittarius. Watch over my son as well."

\---------------  
The group arrived behind a tree a few yards away from the temple. They were forced to stop there upon seeing four shadow beasts guarding the entrance of the temple.

"What now? Even if we sneak behind to enter the temple, those beasts would still notice us." Lance worriedly stated.

"I've got a plan!" Rapunzel exclaimed as everyone turned to the brunette with an attentive gaze.

"THIS IS A HORRIBLE PLAN!!" Varian yelled, holding tightly on Eugene's waist as they rode on Maximus. "OVER HERE! COME AND GET US!" He yelled as he smashed two chemical compounds together, creating a mini explosion. The shadow beasts turned their attention towards the noise, going after the two.

"Wow, you're brutal. Using your lover and friend as bait." Soul told the princess as the stealthily went to the temple.

"It's risky, but I have faith in them. I know they can do it. Now, come on." Rapunzel replied as she, Soul, and Lance entered the doors, making sure to keep their guards up for any more shadow beasts.

Meanwhile, with Eugene and Varian. The two led the shadow beasts even farther from the temple, only for more shadow beasts to appear.

"I was right, This IS a horrible plan!" Varian yelled as more shadow beasts appeared. 

"I'm starting to think that we should have brought a light source to keep them away." Eugene stated as Maximus dodged a claw. "Don't you have anything to use to keep those monsters at bay?"

"This is a perfect time to test those flash bombs!" Varian exclaimed as he dug in his satchel to look for a flash bomb. "Aha!" Looking back, Varian threw a small black ball over his shoulder, causing the shadow beasts to stop and examine the ball. Soon after, the ball lit up brightly, weakening the shadows.

"Great Job, kid!" Eugene complimented. Although he wasn't looking at the alchemist, his smile was evident in his tone as he continued to steer Max across the fields.

"They're not down yet!" Varian shouted, noticing that the shadow beasts are chasing them once again. "Guess it's time to use the big guns!" He declared, grabbing his alchemy gun from his belt, loading it with luminescent chemicals, and aiming it at the beasts. Varian focused on the nearest one and shot it straight in the head. "Bullseye!" He cheered, just as Max leaped over a fence, causing the alchemist to slip off the horse.

"Varian!" Eugene worriedly yelled, pulling on the reins, turning Maximus around to get Varian when a shadow beast appeared in front of them, startling them.

The alchemist grunted as he stood up, dusting himself off. "ROAR!!!!" A roar above him made Varian snap his head up to come face to face with a rabbit-like shadow beast. 

"I thought rabbits were supposed to be cute?! THIS IS FAR FROM CUTE!" He shouted as he aimed his alchemy gun and shot the beast before running and shooting the shadow beast in front of Eugene and Max.

"Perfect timing, Goggles!" Eugene cheered, smiling at the alchemist when Max stomped his feet, snorting as shadow beasts surrounded them. Eugene got off Max, pulling out his sword, preparing to strike.

The shadow beasts fused into one, forming into a massive rabbit-like shadow beast. "Oh, come on!" Varian groaned. Eugene's face fell as he looked up at the beast but quickly shaking it off, standing tall.

"What? Too scared to fight us, you big rabbit?" The ex-thief taunted, causing Varian to look at him as if he had three heads.

"Eugene, are you crazy?! With the size of that thing, it can easily crush us with its hand." Varian barked angrily. Eugene was about to say something when the shadow beast swatted him with its hand, making him fly and hit his back on a tree. "EUGENE!" Varian yelled. "Max, take Eugene to a safe place. I'll lead this monster elsewhere." 

Max let out a neigh as he galloped where Eugene was, flipping the man on top of him before scurrying away. Varian grabbed two flash bombs, throwing them towards the large shadow monster, hoping to distract it.

"Hey! Over here!" He yelled as he ran in another direction. However....our little alchemist was visited by Saint Clumsiness, causing him to trip on a pebble, falling face first. Varian groaned, rubbing his face as he shakily stood up. 

"ROAAR!!!!!" The shadow beast roared, slamming a fist down where Varian was, to which the alchemist, fortunately, dodged, rolling on his side. Varian shot the shadow beast twice, knocking it over. He then stood up, grabbing a flash bomb, confidence overflowing in his veins as he smirked at the fallen shadow beast. "It's over now, little rabbit!" Varian shouted as he threw the blue ball at the- wait, blue ball? Varian's eyes widen at the bubble covered shadow monster, slapping a hand on his forehead. "IDIOT!" The shadow beast shook off the bubbles, running straight at the alchemist when a glowing arrow pierced the monster. It wasn't enough to take it down completely, but it was enough to divert its attention from the alchemist. Looking where the arrow was shot, Varian saw a VERY familiar face that made him want to forget about the monster and run straight up the guy.....and punch him!  
"YOU?!?!"

"Hope I ain't too late for the party?"

\-------------------------------------------------

"Look, there's the orb!" Soul whispered, pointing at the brown orb resting on its pedestal. 

"Hurry and get it, so we don't have to stay here any longer." Lance ushered, looking around for any sign of shadow beasts before gently pushing the astrologer forward. Soul nodded her head as she walked towards the pedestal. Her fingertips touched the orb, and, like always, the orb glowed, and Sagittarius' symbol briefly appeared before cascading into brown sparkles. Unbeknownst to her, one of her white streaks turned brown before disappearing.

"Five orbs done, seven more to go!" Soul exclaimed under her breath, placing the orb in her satchel. 

"Woah! Does that happen every time?" Lance awed, asking the brunette next to him. Rapunzel shrugged her shoulders as Soul neared them. "Are we ready to go?"

"Darlins'! Glad I caught up with you." Isabel happily shouted, running down the corridor. The three shared a look before turning towards the ginger-haired woman. 

"Isabel, hey! What are you doing here?" Soul asked as she was hugged by the woman. "I uh, thought you were gonna watch over Kiera and Catalina." She said, eyeing the woman. There was nothing suspicious of her looks.

"I was! But I forgot to tell you something about the orb." Isabel replied, looking at the pedestal. "Where is it?"

"What are you gonna tell us first?" Rapunzel spoke up, coming in front of Soul.

"It's better for me to show you, so where is it?" Isabel prodded, coming closer.

"Is this really Isabel?" Lance whispered to the girl.

"I don't know...Nothing seems off about her appearance. If this is a shadow henchman, he's smart not to spill anything out of character for Isabel." Soul whispered back. 

"Why? What's the matter? Don't you trust me?" Isabel asked in a sad tone, walking closer to the three.

"It's not that we don't trust you. It's just hard to know if you're really you." Lance replied, walking backwards.

"But it is me!" Isabel insisted.

"Really? Then tell me. How old were you when you had me?" A voice spoke from behind Isabel. Soul glanced behind Isabel to see Varian and a person whom she wanted to punch to oblivion. Varian noticed the look on Soul's face, mentally chuckling.

"Oh! Travis, my dear. Welcome home!" Isabel greeted, walking towards the red-haired teen, her arms open wide.

"Answer me." Travis growled, holding up an arrow. His face showed no emotion as he pointed the arrow towards the woman. "How old were you when you had me?"

"Why, I was 14 of course! I accidentally had you when I was a teenager." Isabel answered. Travis' gaze faltered as he lowered his arrow. "Do you believe me now?" 

"Yes..." Travis lowly answered. The ginger-haired woman hugged the teen, softly running her hands on his hair. "I believe that you're not my mother!" Travis shouted as he stabbed the woman. Everyone was shocked at the red-haired teen's actions and was even more shocked when Isabel faded into a shadow. "Now!" At the cowboy's signal, Varian threw a luminescent chemical at the shadow, causing the shadow to disperse.

"I don't know which should I be surprised about. Travis returning, or what Isabel revealed." Lance stated, rubbing his head in confusion.

"How did you know she was lying?" Rapunzel asked. The boy let out a sigh, tousling his hair back.

"It was true, but....I know ma' wouldn't act like that when she sees me." Travis said in a sad tone. His eyes then went to the lavender-haired girl who was staring at him with caution. She honestly looked like a cat on guard. "Um, is there something wrong, miss?" He asked, raising a brow. 

Soul's two gravity-defying hair strands perked up in alert at the red-haired cowboy's question. "Miss??" She echoed, clearly taken aback. 

"Yeah, um. Is she alright?" Travis whispered to Varian, unsure what to do as the girl still stared at him. Varian shook his head as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. Give her time, she's experiencing trauma right now." Varian whispered back. Travis let out a hum, deciding to ignore Soul as he placed his bow and arrow back on its bag.

"Where's Eugene?" Rapunzel questioned, looking for the brown-haired man. Varian and Travis shared a look.

"He's resting outside." Varian said, smiling.

"Yeah, he was so tired after fighting off multiple shadow beasts." Travis backed up. Rapunzel let out a relieved sigh, excusing herself to go outside.

"He fainted, didn't he?" Lance asked. 

"he didn't exactly faint. More like he got knocked out." Varian sheepishly answered, rubbing the back of his neck. Lance shook his head, chuckling as he went after the brunette to see how his friend was fairing.

That left the three teens awkwardly standing there as silence loomed over the air. 

"So... Don't you have a flower to touch? Varian asked, attempting to break the awkward atmosphere. 

"You mean Memoria Vitris? Sagittarius' Memoria Vitris was destroyed years ago." Travis informed. Seeing Soul's sad expression, the cowboy bit his lip, wanting to ask her something but stopped himself.

"If you're going to ask me something, go ahead. I'll try not to bite." Soul stated, crossing her arms.

"Um, why do you seem to hate me, Miss...?"

"Soul. And please don't add miss. You make me sound like I'm older than you."

"Yes, um Soul. Why do you hate me? Also, please stop looking at me like that." Travis questioned as he hid behind Varian's back, trying to shield himself from the intense glare the lavender-haired girl was giving him.

"I'm sorry, but because of your shadow counterpart, I have grown to hate you. Don't take it too personal." She answered, huffing.

"If you don't mind me asking, what did my shadow counterpart do?"

"He just played with my feelings, that's all. All those flirty and friendly actions just to trick me and try to kill me when he asked me out on a friendly date." Travis grimaced at the girl's words. No wonder she hated him, or at least his shadow counterpart.

"Um, on behalf of my counterpart, I humbly ask for your forgiveness." He apologized, bowing his head. Soul only let out a small huff before giving in.

"It's fine. I didn't like you like that anyway. Honestly, he was super annoying and too full of himself." Soul replied.

"Come on, let's go back. I believe someone here has someone waiting for him to come home." Varian suggested, glancing at the red-haired teen, who blushed in return.

\-------------------------------------

Isabel sat on the couch, crocheting in her nightgown. She wanted to sleep, but something kept her awake. Like something was not letting her sleep. Glancing at a picture frame with a photo of her and Travis eight years ago, Isabel let out a sad sigh, remembering what happened three months ago.

"Is it true?" Travis yelled at the ginger-haired woman who was washing the dishes. Isabel raised an eyebrow at the boy, confused.

"Is what true, darlin'?" She asked, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Is it true that you told those women in town that I sleep with my sheep plushie? " Travis angrily questioned.

"Oh, well-"

"Is it also true that you told them how you wished I would act like their sons?" 

"Well, it would be nice if my son wasn't lazing around all day, and help me around the farm!" Isabel said, raising her voice.

"I help around the farm!" Travis protested.

"When you want to! Why can't you be like Brody or Shannon? They help around the farm when you wouldn't. Nice kids they are." The woman replied.

"Well, why don't you ask them to be your son?!"

"Well, I didn't ask you to be born!" Isabel's eyes widen, realizing what she said.

"You- what?" Travis asked, his voice wavering as he stared at the ginger-haired woman in front of him. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't mean to-"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN??!!!" Travis yelled, angry tears streaming down his face.

"I was young, okay! I thought your father loved me, but I was dang wrong. He left me after he found out he got me pregnant. I was given the option to kill ya', but I couldn't! It hurt my conscience to have an innocent's blood on my hands." She confessed, crying as she talked with her hands. 

"So, all this time, you never really loved me? IS THAT WHY?" Travis roared, clutching his shirt where his heart would be.

"OF COURSE NOT! Travis, I love you so much, more than you can ever know." Isabel softly stated, reaching out to touch the red-haired teen's face. But her hand was harshly slapped away as Travis stared up at her with such hatred in his eyes. "Travis...."

"I WISH I WASN'T BORN! I WISH YOU JUST KILLED ME THEN AND THERE!" He yelled before running out the door.

"TRAVIS!" Isabel screamed as she ran after the teen. She struggled to run after him, cursing the weather, who wasn't helping with their situation as rain heavily poured from the dark clouds. "Travis! Don't go...." She breathed, falling to her knees as she watched the silhouette of the boy running through the rain.

"When I let him walk away. What if I had spoken, "stay"? Why did I go on concealing the secret I've been keeping." She sang as she picked the picture frame up, caressing Travis' face in the photo. "Now I'll never get to say. All the things I should have said. Now there's no more love, just echoes of a life we should have led." 

"If I could take that moment back. " Isabel looked at the window, holding the photo close to her chest. "If he were here beside me still." She imagined Travis reading on the couch by the fireplace. "I'd let him see inside my heart. Now he never will..."

"ISABEL!!!" A voice called from outside, snapping the woman out of her thoughts. Isabel placed the picture frame down, fixing herself up before opening the door to see who's calling for her. Upon opening the door, she was greeted by Soul and the others with huge grins on their faces.

"What's goin' on? Did you get the orb? You lot seem too happy to-" Isabel's eyes widened when the group revealed a certain red-haired teen hiding behind them.

"Hi, mom." Travis shyly waved, looking at his mother. Isabel placed a hand on her mouth as she jumped towards the boy, hugging him tightly to which the boy returned. "I'm sorry..."

"Honey, you have nothing to apologize about. I should be the one apologizin'." Isabel cried.

Rapunzel and the others watched the heart felting reunion, Lance tearing up a bit. Soul sadly smiled, wondering what's it like to have a parent. Having no memories of her parents, Soul wondered if her parents knew who Wisteria and Igneous were. Gold only told her small stories about their parents but never mentioned their names.

"Why don't you all rest up now? I'm sure it was tirin', battlin' those shadow beasts. Then you can leave tomorrow." Isabel suggested.

"That would be great! I am feeling a bit bushed." Eugene exclaimed.

"But all he did was sleep?" Soul whispered to Varian, causing them to giggle as they entered the farmhouse.

\-------------------------------------------------------

"Take care now y'all. Just mention our names to Capricorn's guardian. He'll let you through." Isabel reminded, waving goodbye at the group. Travis behind her.

"Thank you for everything!" Rapunzel thanked, hugging the woman. Out of everyone, Rapunzel was the closest to Isabel. 

"It's nothin'. Go and save the world!" Isabel exclaimed, smiling at the brunette.

"It was nice meeting you." Travis said as he and Varian shared a handshake.

"You too! Well, at least the real you. I can't say the same for your counterpart." Varian replied, laughing a little.

"Goodbye, Soul." Travis waved at the lavender-haired girl, who was peeking from the window of the caravan. Soul said nothing but waved at the boy. "She sure does not like me."

"Eh, you'll get used to it." Varian laughed, shaking his head.

"I might not know her that well, but I can tell that she's a rare one. You've caught yourself a real catch." Travis stated, smirking at the alchemist.

"I have no idea of what you're talking about." Varian denied blushing. Travis just laughed, patting the alchemist's back.

"Alright, then! Capricorn's orb, here we go!" Eugene happily cheered, tugging on the reins as Max and Oren pulled the caravan.

"Hey, mom." Travis started as he waved goodbye at the group.

"What is it?"

"Is Soul....?"

"Yes. She is."


	35. Chapter 34: Face Your Fears

Back

Forth

Back

Forth

Back

Forth

Ba-

"Soul, is something wrong?" Rapunzel softly asked the pacing girl. Soul stopped pacing as she looked at the princess with wide eyes.

"Oh, um. Everything's alright." She answered, continuing to pace back and forth.

"Clearly, there's something wrong if you keep pacing back and forth." Rapunzel stated, holding the girl on her shoulders. "Now, tell me what's wrong." She insisted as she sat the girl down beside her.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just that the next destination is one that I don't want to be near to." Soul answered, her eyebrows furrowing upwards.

"What is the next destination?" Eugene asked from outside, hearing the two's conversation.

"Strayside Cliff...." Rapunzel's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, right! You're afraid of- sasds!" She said but was cut off as Soul covered her mouth.

"SHHHH!! They don't know yet." Soul whispered, smiling sheepishly as Catalina and Kiera looked at her weirdly.

"I know you're scared, but what's there to be ashamed of? Everyone is afraid of something." Rapunzel stated, smiling softly at the girl.

"I know. But the reason I don't want to tell everyone is not that I'm ashamed, but because I'm sure they would ask WHY I'm scared. And it's still a sore subject..." Soul replied, bowing her head a little.

"You can tell us when you're ready. Just know that we're here for you, alright?" Rapunzel reassured. Soul smiled at the brunette, nodding her head.

"I will."

"Now, I've been meaning to ask you." The brunette started, sitting on the couch, criss-cross as she looked at the lavender-haired girl beside her. "What do you think of everyone so far?"

"Think of them? They're really nice. The nicest of the people I've encountered before, except for Xavier." Soul answered, leaning her back on the couch, smiling. 

"Bark!" Flick barked as he hopped on the spot beside his owner, demanding to be petted. Soul rolled her eyes before picking up the fox and placing him on her lap as she stroked his fur.

"Catalina and Kiera became like my younger sisters, which was nice because I was the youngest in my family. Though we don't talk much, Lance and I are on good terms, and he's a nice guy. Don't even get me started with Eugene!" Soul laughed, causing Rapunzel to laugh as well. "I have to admit. I was ready to hate him with every fiber of my being."

"Yeah, you two went on a pretty rough start." Rapunzel commented, petting Pascal's cheek.

"But, I guess he kinda' grew on me from the months we all spent together." Soul added, poking Flick's nose.

"Awww! I love you too, Star Gazer." Eugene shouted from outside. Rapunzel giggled at the girl's red face.

"Shut up! I still hate you!" Soul yelled, flustered.

"Ouch!"

"How can he hear us talking when he couldn't even hear us waking him up." She whispered to the brunette.

"I wonder that sometimes as well." Rapunzel replied.

"And as for you." Soul started, causing the brunette to turn to her. "You're like a sister I never had. Aside from the fact that I always admired you from the stories I've heard, you're one of the reasons why I never gave up on myself for being different from other people. So, thank you." She confessed, looking down shyly. Rapunzel softly looked at the girl, feeling her heart melt at the girl's words.

"Come here!" She exclaimed, opening her arms as Soul jumped in, hugging her. "You're like a sister to me too, Soul."

"I really don't get girls." Varian stated as he watched the two, hugging. "One minute they're talking, the next they're either crying, hugging, or fighting. There's no in between."

"You and me both, V." Kiera agreed.

"Aren't you a girl?" The boy asked, looking at the girl.

"I am, but even I don't understand my species." Kiera shrugged, flopping back onto the bed, bouncing a bit.

"I swear, he's so smart yet so idiotic." Soul said in an annoyed tone as she eyed the alchemist who was reading a book while writing something in another journal.

"How about Varian?" Rapunzel questioned as she pulled away from the hug.

"What about Beaver Teeth?"

"What do you think of him?" Varian's ears perked up as he heard his name. He sneakily scooted a bit closer to the other end of the couch he was sitting on to hear what the astrologer has to say about him. 

Soul thought for a bit, not knowing where to start. "Negatively or Positively?" She asked, placing a hand on her chin.

"Yes." Rapunzel replied. Soul pursed her lips before speaking.

"He's an idiot. A clumsy idiot, who would probably be the cause of my death in the near future." Soul flatly stated. Varian's shoulders fell, a small frown on his face. "But, I guess...." Varian couldn't hear what the girl said as she whispered it in the brunette's ears. 

"Awwwww! You really think that?" Rapunzel cooed. Pink dusted Soul's cheeks as she shyly nodded. "That's so adorable!"

Varian squinted his eyes at the two. Curiosity filled his mind at what the girl thought about him. He was positive that whatever she told Rapunzel were good things, judging from the princess's reaction.

"Curious about what Soul thinks of you?" A voice asked in a teasing tone beside him.

"Yes, so be quie- AHH!" Varian shouted, startled as Lance suddenly appeared beside him. 

"What's wrong with you?" Soul asked, raising a brow at the alchemist. Varian blushed as Lance laughed beside him, causing the alchemist to shoot him a glare.

"Nothing!" Varian answered, sitting up straightly, coughing in his fist. "It's none of your business." 

"You're so weird." Soul mumbled, shaking her head as she glanced at the side, pink dusting her cheeks. And you're making me feel weird.

\-----------*Time skip to October 7, a day before the peak*---------------------------------

"Are you sure he's the guardian?" Eugene whispered to Soul as they stood in front of an old man at the foot of Mount Ina, where Strayside Cliff was located.

"I think he is. I'm not sure." Soul whispered back. The old man only stared at them? They couldn't tell because his eyes were covered with his white hair.

"EEP!" Lance squealed as he felt something poking his back. Turning their heads to look behind them to see a child with brown hair and piercing green eyes glaring at them.

"Who are you, and what do you want with Grandpa?" He questioned, holding up a stick as if it was a sword. Eugene and Lance stared at the boy before bursting out in laughter.

"Ohhh, scary!" Eugene mocked, laughing. The boy pouted, narrowing his eyes before kicking the ex-thief on the shin, making Eugene grunt in pain.

"I said, who are you, and what do you want with Grandpa?" He asked again as he jumped on Eugene's back, hitting the man's head with his stick.

"Gene, that's enough." The old man spoke, surprising the group. 

"But Grandpa!" Gene protested.

"That's enough. Get off the nice man's back." The boy hit his stick on Eugene's head one last time before jumping down and running to his grandfather's side. "Now, what can I help you all with?" The old man asked.

"Isabel, Protector of Sagittarius' temple. Permitted us to proceed here, and ask you your permission to enter Capricorn's temple and take his orb on the day of the peak." Soul stated, bowing a little.

"What do you want to do with the orb?" Gene questioned, pointing his stick towards the girl. The old man clicked his tongue as he used his cane to bring the stick his grandson was holding down.

"Don't be rude to our guests, Gene. Go inside the house." The old man instructed. Gene looked up at his grandfather with huge puppy eyes, but the old man wasn't having it. "You know very well that your goo-goo eyes won't work on me. Now, a good boy and go inside." Gene grumbled as he went to the small cottage near the pathway up the mountain, stomping his feet in the process. Shaking his head, the old man looked at the group. "My name's Rico. And yes, you have my permission. With all of the shadow henchmen on the loose, Zhan Tiri must be getting furious she can't get at least one orb."

"Thank you! And we hope it stays that way." Soul said, smiling.

"Unless one of us betrays us again, yeah, Zhan Tiri won't be getting any orbs." Eugene joked. Everyone looked at him with unamused expressions on their faces, while Soul raised a brow, not getting the terrible inside joke the others have.

"I don't get it." Soul said as she looked at Varian for answers. The alchemist just shook his head.

"Don't worry about it." Varian sighed as he pushed the girl forward when he saw the others going up the mountain path. The group chose to walk as Max and Oren pulled the caravan upwards, not wanting to further exhaust the horses. Seeing that they were now heading up the mountain to Strayside Cliff, Soul instantly ran down, causing everyone to stop and turn to look at her.

"Where are you going?" Eugene questioned. Soul stopped, turning around to face the others. 

"I just remembered that we're leaving Gene alone down there. So, I'm volunteering to watch over him. You know, with the shadow henchmen." She reasoned, nervously scratching her cheek. Soul gasped when she felt someone pushing her upwards.

"Come on, Soul! Don't be a chicken." Kiera stated.

"Yeah! What's up with you?" Catalina said as she gave the older girl a look of confusion. Soul swallowed the lump in her throat as she shook her head nothing. 

"Gene would be fine. That boy knows how to deal with a shadow." Rico informed as he continued to walk up the path.

Rapunzel walked closer to the astrologer, whispering in the girl's ear. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Just get me far away from the cliff then, we'll be fine." Soul answered. 

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a crossroad. One leads upwards, and one leads towards the cliff. "That path right there is the path to Mount Ina that leads to Aries' temple." Rico informed, pointing at the left path.

"Then, if the entrance to Aries' temple is here, where's her guardian?" Soul questioned, looking at the old man.

"Aries' protector lives on the other side at the foot of Mount Ina. You don't have to worry about her at the moment. Now, follow me." The old man replied, leading the group towards the right path. 

As they got closer to the cliff, Varian noticed how Soul's breaths became uneven as the girl whispered, 'I got this' over and over under her breath. He also noticed how the girl's knees trembled, remembering the time when they were crossing the straw bridge to get to Crystal cave. Varian's eyes widened as he turned his head towards the girl. 

"Welcome to Capricorn's temple!" Rico introduced as he pointed at the temple, at least what's left of it, by the cliff. The temple lacked a roof and walls as the only thing left was the pillars and the floor. The group could clearly see the pedestal where the orb would appear, and if they were to look at the edge of the temple, they would see the seemingly bottomless pit of the cliff.

"Who thought it would be a great idea to build a temple by a cliff?" Eugene spoke as he stared at the temple.

"Merlin apparently. He was the one who requested to protect the orbs." Soul replied, standing by the wall of the mountain behind her, which was the farthest place from the cliff.

"Soul?" Varian started as he stood next to the girl. Soul let out a hum, urging the alchemist to continue. "Are you afraid of heights?" He asked, causing Soul to choke on nothing.

"W-what? NO! What made you think that?" She coughed, wiping her mouth as she looked at the boy beside her.

"It's just that, back then, when we were crossing the bridge, you were scared when you kept looking down. And Capricorn's temple is by the cliff, and cliffs are very high." Varian explained. Soul shook her head, shyly scratching her cheek. 

"No, I'm not afraid of heights." She replied.

"Then, why are you so adamant of being away from the - cliff? Are you afraid of cliffs?" Varian questioned in realization. 

"Don't be so loud about it. And yes! I'm scared to be near or to even see a cliff." Soul confessed, covering her red face. 

"Why?" He asked but quickly took it back when he saw the girl's shoulders tense up. "Never mind! But how are you going to see the Memoria Vitris if you don't want to be near the cliff?"

"I'll manage..." She answered as she sadly stared at the cliff.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's now night time, and everyone was asleep in the caravan. They decided to stay the night by the cliff until the peak, much to the astrologer's dismay. Standing near the cliff, Soul walked forward, then backward, then forwards again.

"I can do this!" Peaking over the cliff, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Nope! I can't!" She whisper shouted, walking away. "But if I don't, I would not be able to see the Memoria Vitris." Soul stated, walking closer again. "But I can't!" 

"According to my journal, you have been repeating this routine for about the past hour." A voice spoke behind her, startling Soul. 

"Varian! Seriously? Is your hobby scaring me?" Soul whisper shouted at the boy, pointing a finger at him.

"What are you up to?" He asked as he placed the girl's finger down, looking at her with his eyebrow raised.

"I want to try and overcome my fear of cliffs. Not just for the sake of the Memoria Vitris, but for my sake as well." The girl answered, putting her hands on her chest as she closed her eyes. Soul opened her eyes when she felt the boy take her hand and lead her near the cliff. "Varian, what are you doing?" She shakily asked.

"You said you want to face your fears, so that's what we're doing." The alchemist simply stated. Soul struggled to pull herself away from the boy as they got closer to the edge. When they were finally by the edge, Soul took one look down the cliff and was about to run away when Varian held her tightly in his arms. "You're not going anywhere until you can at least sit on the edge of this cliff with me for 10 minutes." 

The girl continued to try and pull away from the alchemist as Varian kept pushing her to fight the fear. "Varian, this is useless! I can't do it! I see his face every time I look at the cliff!" Soul screamed in the boy's chest, tears streaming down her face. 

"Who's face?' He softly asked as he stared at the crying girl.

"My brother." She sniffled. Varian sat down, bringing the girl down with him. Soul laid her head on the boy's chest, continuing with her story. "Two years ago, in a blizzard. My brother and I were going to a mountain retreat to deliver some supplies. However, the blizzard was too strong, and an avalanche knocked our wagon down a cliff, taking my brother with it. I survived because I was the one riding the horse." 

"Blizzard?" Varian mumbled. "When was this blizzard?" 

"I don't know, somewhere near winter, I guess. I recall it was the king and queen's anniversary because the supplies we were delivering was for them." Varian's eyes softened even more as he let out a soft gasp.

"I guess you weren't the only one who lost someone that day." He mumbled, stroking the girl's hair.

"What do you mean?" Soul questioned, looking up.

"That day, my father got encased in amber. Rapunzel just got him out months before we defeated Zhan Tiri." He replied, a sad look in his eyes as he stared at the astrologer in his arms. "I thought I lost him that day, and I got mad and-"

"Hey, it's okay." Soul whispered, placing a hand on the boy's cheek, smiling softly. "At least you've got your dad back, right?"

A tear escaped the alchemist's eyes as Soul wiped them away. Varian continued to stare at the girl and was about to lean down when something glowing from the sky caught his eye. Looking up, he saw a bunch of shooting stars raining down the horizon, lighting up the night. Soul looked at the boy confusedly before looking up as well.

"Woah!" He awed, as he stood up, pulling the girl up as well.

"How could I forget? Today is Draconid's peak!" Soul exclaimed as she pulled away from the alchemist, marveling at the sight of the meteors shooting across the sky, forgetting she was standing at the edge of the cliff. "Look! The sky is so bright! It's ...it's so magical!" She shouted, spreading her arms wide. 

"Before I look at the sky, why don't you look at where your standing first?" Varian proudly stated as Soul looked down confusedly. Normally, she would freak out from being too close to the edge of the cliff. But with Varian's presence near her, the cliff didn't bother her as much as before.

"I don't feel anything..what?" She breathed out as she looked at the alchemist, who was proudly smiling. "I don't feel scared at all!" 

"I knew you could do it!" Varian cheered, backing away but stopping as Soul suddenly grabbed his hand.

"Um, don't go. For some reason, the fear comes back when you're not there." She shyly requested. Soul silently thanked the Gods above that even with the light from the meteor shower, it was still dark enough for the alchemist to see her red face. Varian blushed in return as he went to stand next to the astrologer to continue watching the meteor shower. Soul continued to watch the meteor shower, still holding the alchemist's hand. 

Instead of looking at the sky, Varian was looking at their intertwined hands, his heart beating so fast it could jump out of his chest. This feeling was even worse than what he felt for Cassandra, and he was panicking because he doesn't know what to do and how to stop it. They weren't even close to defeating Zhan Tiri, and his feelings for the girl were already growing.

"I think it's very mature of you to set aside your feelings so you can focus on the task at hand. But know that you're human too, and it's normal for everyone to find love in the most unexpected times. Just don't try your hardest to push it away, it'll only hurt you more." Lance's voice echoed in his mind. Varian glanced at the astrologer one more time before, looking at the sky with a small smile on his face.

"Thanks, Lance. Looks like you were right after all."


	36. Chapter 35: Another Reason To Fear Cliffs

"Woah! Varian, did you even sleep last night?" Eugene asked with wide eyes as he stared at the half-awake alchemist with bloodshot eyes, sitting beside him on the bench by the window to the coachmen's boot. "You look like a zombie."

"I'm....fine...." Varian muttered before dozing off, leaning his head on Eugene's shoulder, snoring loudly.

"I don't know if I should find this cute or worrying." Eugene stated, gesturing at the sleeping alchemist. "How late did he stay up last night?"

"We, uh, stayed up until three in the morning." Soul sheepishly answered, scratching her cheek.

"Wait, Woah, Woah! THREE IN THE MORNING? How are you even fully awake right now?" The man shouted in disbelief before waving his hands. "Nevermind that, what were you two even doing, staying up late like that?" Eugene asked instead.

"I was stargazing and studying some stars and updating my star chart last night when he woke up and joined me. Plus, there was a meteor shower." Soul half-lied. There was no way she was going to tell them that they stayed up all night, trying to make her fear of cliffs disappear. So far, it was working. "And I'm used to staying up late." She added, nibbling on a biscuit.

"So, you and Varian watched a meteor shower together?" Kiera asked, nudging her sister, giggling.

Soul raised an eyebrow in slight confusion, turning to the two younger girls. "Yeah, why?" She asked back. The girls continued giggling as Catalina nudged Lance, urging him to explain.

"What?" Lance asked, looking down at the two girls. Catalina whispered something in his ear as the man broke into a grin. "Ohoho!"

"What?" Soul questioned, turning to look at the burly man sitting across her. "What's wrong?"

"So, you and Varian watched the meteor shower last night?" Lance queried, placing a hand underneath his chin, leaning on it as his arm rested on his lap.

"Yeah, so?"

"Just the two of you?" Lance asked.

"Unless you count the occasional flies bothering us, then yes, just the two of us." Soul replied.

"So you guys watched a meteor shower, just the two of you last night?"

"Where are you going with this, Lance? You're starting to test my patience here." The girl said, gritting her teeth as she angrily bit onto the biscuit she was eating. Lance held up his hands, surrendering.

"Woah, easy there. What I'm trying to say is that you and Varian went on a date last night?" Silence enveloped inside the caravan after Lance stated those words.

"I- what?" The girl stammered.

"Yeah, a date. You do know what a date is, right?" Lance's face fell as he didn't consider if Soul even knew of romantic relationships.

"I'm offended! Of course, I know. " Soul huffed, pouting. "And no, what we did wasn't a date. I was peacefully studying the stars when he decided to join me."

"Unless you did the date things." Catalina stated, wiggling her eyebrows. The older girl made a disgusted look, cringing at the younger girl, preparing her ears for the answer to her question.

"What date things?" Soul asked, raising her hands slightly to her ears, preparing to cover it if necessary.

"You know? Like, cuddle."

Soul took one look down the cliff and was about to run away when Varian held her tightly in his arms.

"Talk about sensitive stuff because they say it makes couples feel closer."

"My brother." She sniffled. Varian sat down, bringing the girl down with him. Soul laid her head on the boy's chest, continuing with her story. "Two years ago, in a blizzard. My brother and I were going to a mountain retreat to deliver some supplies. However, the blizzard was too strong, and an avalanche knocked our wagon down a cliff, taking my brother with it. I survived because I was the one riding the horse."

"That day, my father got encased in amber. Rapunzel just got him out months before we defeated Zhan Tiri." He replied, a sad look in his eyes as he stared at the astrologer in his arms. "I thought I lost him that day, and I got mad and-"

"Hey, it's okay." Soul whispered, placing a hand on the boy's cheek, smiling softly. "At least you've got your dad back, right?"

"That kind of date stuff. Am I right, Lance?" Catalina questioned, looking up at the man beside her.

Lance felt a nervous sweat drip from his forehead as he looked down at the child's curious gaze. "Um, that's not what two people really do on a date."

"Then what do they do?" Kiera asked this time.

"I'll tell you two when you're older!"

Meanwhile, Soul was staring intensely at the biscuit in her hand as she thought what the red-headed child told her. That wasn't a date. Right?

"Hoot!" Sir Hoots-a-lot hooted, perching himself on his owner's arm, pecking at the biscuit. Laughing, Soul gave the owl the biscuit, petting his feathers softly. Hearing whimpering, the girl looked down to see a fox, giving her puppy eyes.

"Do you want a biscuit too, Flick?" Flick barked, jumping up the couch to sit next to the girl as Soul took another biscuit from her plate, giving it to the fox. She then glanced at the sleeping alchemist as her mind thought back to what Lance said. Whatever! That wasn't a date. She thought, unaware of the red dusting her cheeks.

\-------------------------------------------------

"Alright, Capricorn's constellation would shine over the pedestal soon. Are you ready?" Rico asked, standing beside Soul with Gene behind him. Looking at the cliff, Soul's breath hitched a little when she felt someone's hand place on her shoulder.

"You've got this!" Varian cheered.

"Can't someone else take the orb? I mean, why does it have to be me anyway?" Soul shakily said, her grip on her satchel's strap tightened.

"Apart from the fact that you're the one keeping the orbs, didn't you say you want to see more of Wisteria and Igneous from the Memoria Vitris?" Varian stated.

Rico's eyes widened at the mention of the couple's names as he looked at the lavender-haired astrologer and catching a glimpse of her pendant.

"My stars, they really did it." He muttered in disbelief.

"I somehow regret that now." Soul pouted.

"Hey, Star Gazer. If you're the one who's going to get the orb, you better get it now." Eugene shouted, fear evident in his tone.

"Not that I don't mind, but why?" Soul asked, looking back before widening her eyes.

"SHADOW BEASTS!" Gene screamed as shadow beasts formed from up the mountain. The shadows took in the form of dog-like creatures, crawling down to where the group was.

"Catalina, Kiera, inside the caravan! NOW!" Lance ordered, readying his sword. The two girls were about to enter when two shadow creatures appeared in front of them. "GIRLS!"

Nodding at each other, Kiera brought out a transparent tube, while Catalina brought out a transparent knuckles.

"What are those?" Eugene questioned as he saw the weapons the two girls brought out while fighting off a shadow beast.

Kiera flicked the tube, and Catalina bumped the two knuckles together. At the same time, their weapons glowed brightly, striking at the shadow beasts and dispersing them. The two gave each other a high five, turning to Eugene and giving him a smug smirk.

"It works! Nice job, you two." Varian complimented, throwing a chem ball at a shadow beast.

"Wait, you gave them weapons?" Lance shouted in disbelief, evading a shadow beast's claw as he narrowed his eyes at the alchemist.

"Hey, don't look at me! It was Soul's idea." He pointed towards the astrologer, who was protecting Rico and Gene while shooting fire towards the shadow beasts. "Anyways, be thankful we decided to give them some! They were former thieves. They can handle themselves." Varian stated, dodging a beast's tail.

"How much longer till the peak?" Soul questioned, not looking at the protector behind her as she was busy fighting off shadow beasts in front of them.

Looking up, Rico answered, "Not much longer. Only a few more minutes to go."

"Grandpa!" Gene screamed. Turning around, Rico and Soul saw a shadow beast grab the boy. "Let go of me, you demon spawn!" He shouted, pounding his fists on the shadow beast's claw.

"GENE!" Rico screamed, coughing at the end, reaching out for his grandson, but Soul held him back.

"I'll get him! Stay here." The girl stated. Soul shot fire towards the shadow beast, but its tail swung towards her before it dispersed, knocking her to the ground.

"Ugh...." Soul groaned, touching her head.

"Grandpa!" Gene yelled. Soul looked towards the edge of the cliff to see Gene looking over the cliff, crying. Rushing next to the boy, Soul saw Rico barely hanging on a ledge.

"Rico!" Soul shouted, her eyes wide as she stared at the dangling protector. "A-a rope! Raps do we have a rope?"

"I think it's somewhere in the caravan!" The brunette replied, hitting the shadow beasts with a frying pan as Eugene threw a flash bomb after the beasts reverted to their shadow forms, dispersing from the light. "We'll get it!"

"There's not much time! Help him, Soul!" Gene pleaded, sniffling as he looked up at the astrologer with big watery eyes. Soul's eyes darted everywhere, snapping her fingers as she tried to remember something before her face lit up.

"AUTEM!" She shouted, her hands glowing purple while a purple aura surrounded the old man. Soul raised her hands, struggling as this was the first time she used an advanced spell. "A-autem!" she grunted, trying to make Rico levitate upwards only to fail, falling back a bit. The spell drained most of her energy, and it wasn't even successful. "I can't. The spell's too hard."

"Please! You have to do something, he'll fall to his death!" Gene cried, tugging on the girl's dress. "Please, he's all I have left."

"Don't worry. We'll find a way to save him." She replied. His eyes darted towards the direction of the temple, seeing that the orb was finally visible, but a shadow beast was making its way towards the pedestal. “Oh, no, the orb!”

"You can go child, I'll be fine." Rico stated, looking up at the two.

"What? NO! We'll save you." Soul shouted, blasting fire towards the shadow beast, thankfully dispersing it. " Rapunzel, did you find the rope yet?" She asked, looking in the direction of the caravan to see that everyone, aside from Lance, and Varian, who was nowhere to be seen, was surrounded by shadow beasts.

"We found the rope, but we ran out of flash bombs. These shadow beasts don't know how to quit!" The brunette replied, stepping backwards as the shadow beasts cornered them. "Lance, catch!" She shouted, throwing the rope over to the burly man, who luckily caught the rope.

"We got you, Rico!" Lance exclaimed but was stopped by a shadow beast jumping in front of him. "Soul, catch!"

Throwing her hands up, Soul caught the rope and tied it on a rock before tying it around her waist. Looking down the edge, she sucked up a breath before climbing down the cliff. "Here, hold on!" She stated as she took the old man's arm, lifting him. Soul let out a small huff. It seems the old man was heavier than expected. Climbing up, Soul grabbed on one of the ledges, however, their weight was too heavy, causing the ledge to break and Soul to fall.

"Soul!" Gene yelled, looking down from the cliff. The girl was now dangling, holding on to the rope tightly with Rico on her back.

"We're fine!" Soul yelled back, reassuring the boy. She looked down and the sight made her stomach flip. If they were to fall to their deaths, they would probably end up being like pancakes.

"This rope can not hold us both." Rico said from behind her.

"It will just hang on!" Soul reassured as she started to climb up the rope, stopping when she saw the rope beginning to snap. "Uh-oh." She muttered, her face falling.

"Gene, listen to me carefully." Rico shouted to his grandson.

"W-what? What is it Grandpa?" Gene cried.

"I have taught you the ways of being a protector. From our history to our rules, and the secrets. I always knew this time would come, but I never thought it would come this soon for you are still young."

"Rico, where are you going with this?" Soul anxiously asked.

"This rope won't hold us both, and you know it. Now, I Rico Schafer, Capricorn's guardian, pass on the guardianship to you, Gene Schafer. From now on, you will be Capricorn's guardian until you pass on your duties to your successor." Rico declared, and a hidden mark on his wrist disappeared, reappearing on Gene's wrist. The poor child was wailing now, nodding his head to every word his grandfather was saying, while Soul, on the other hand, refused to look up as she herself was crying.

"No...I'm going to get you back up there, just hold on..." Soul said, her voice breaking.

Stroking the girl's hair, Rico spoke. "You're out of energy, my child. This rope will snap soon if I continue to weight you down."

"No, I can still go on. AUTEM!" She shouted, her hands glowing purple again as a purple aura surrounded them both. Sweat dripped down Soul's forehead, her vision getting blurry but continuing nonetheless. She needs to bring back Rico to Gene. Sure, she didn't promise anything but knowing that if Rico dies, they would have to leave an eight-year-old boy alone to protect the temple. And knowing how hard it was to live alone at a young age, Soul didn't want Gene to experience what she went through. Especially that the boy is much younger than her when she started living alone. "A-autem!" Soul's body trembled, trying to make the spell work but all it did was snap the rope more.

"AHHHH!" Gene screamed, causing Soul and Rico to look up to see Gene held captive by a shadow beast.

"Oh, no! Gene, not again!"

"I'm going to let go!"

"What? NO! Please!"

"Gene needs help more than I do. I'm old, my time to serve has ended. Please, save my grandson instead." Rico pleaded as Soul looked at him over her shoulder, tears cascading down her face. "Please. Do it for me."

Soul bowed her head, nodding her head slightly, not looking at the former protector. Soon after, the weight on her back disappeared, which made her cry more.

"Soul! Somebody! HELP!" Gene screamed as the shadow beast held him tightly. Blinking her tears away, Soul noticed her satchel as an idea formed in her head, cursing herself as she did not think of this sooner.

"HEY, SHADOW BEAST! LOOKING FOR THE ORBS? I HAVE THEM." She shouted, patting her satchel. The shadow beast holding Gene turned to look down at her, dropping the boy and grabbing the rope Soul was holding on. The shadow beast pulled her up, and as it was about to grab the satchel, a flash bomb was thrown at the shadow beast, dispersing it quickly.

"Where's grandpa?" Gene asked, tugging the lavender-haired girl's dress. Soul looked down solemnly at the boy, kneeling in front of him and hugging him. Tears flowed out the boy's eyes as he struggled to pull away from the girl. "YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HIM! YOU HAVE MAGIC SO, WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE HIM?" He screamed, pounding his fists on the girl's back.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry, I tried..but-"

"YOU DIDN'T TRY HARD ENOUGH!"

"I'm sorry..." Soul weakly said, hugging the boy even tighter, but with her weak state, she was easily pushed away.

"Go get the orb and leave. Make sure to not show your face to me when you come back to go to Aries' temple." Gene stated in a low voice before running down the mountain path to his home. Soul didn't move from her spot as she continued to cry, not noticing someone's arms wrapping around her.

"He hates me! And he has every right to." She whimpered, leaning her head on the person's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault. It took me a bit of time to make more flash bombs." Varian apologized, comforting the crying girl.

"But I was the one with magic! Gene's right, I could have saved Rico with my magic, but I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough." Soul cried. "And worse of all, it's like my brother's death all over again.." Varian looked at the girl with a sad expression, stroking her hair.

"Hey, I got the orb! And how dare you Soul for not telling me about that beautiful light display?" Eugene spoke as he tossed the orb into the air and catching it with the same hand. "So, what did I miss?" He said, looking at the group, only to shrink down at everyone's intense glare. 

Soul growled at him as she stood up and took the orb from his hands before stomping towards the caravan.

"You picked a reaaaaally bad time to be joking around, Flynn." Kiera stated, crossing her arms.

"Why what happened? Where's Gene and Rico?" He queried as he looked around for the two.

"Eugene, Rico fell in the cliff, and Gene's mad at Soul." Rapunzel sadly answered, walking towards the man and leaning her head on his shoulder. 

"What? I thought Soul went to get him up with the rope?"

"She did, but the rope was close to snapping and Rico offered to sacrifice himself." Eugene's eyes widened as he turned to look at the caravan where Soul went to earlier before hugging his lover, placing his chin on her head.

"Hey, V. I think you should go in there and comfort her." Catalina suggested, poking the alchemist's shoulder, catching his attention. Varian nodded as he did what the red-headed girl said, slowly entering the caravan.

"Soul?" He called out softly. Eyeing the girl's claimed couch, he saw a large lump shaking under the blanket as small sniffles came from it. He also saw Pascal and Ruddiger softly patting the blanket as if comforting it. Feeling something rubbing on his leg, Varian looked down to see Flick looking up at him with sad eyes, gesturing to his owner. Picking up the fox, Varian grabbed a chair and placed it next to the couch. Seeing his owner, Ruddiger jumped on the alchemist's shoulders, pointing at the crying girl. Varian placed a hand on where he guessed was Soul's head as he hummed a small song. Though his humming turned into singing.

"I see your monsters. I see your pain. Tell me your problems, I'll chase them away." He sang as he kept rubbing Soul's covered head. "I'll be your lighthouse, I'll make it okay. " Soul uncovered her head, looking up the alchemist with red-eyes. Varian placed Flick down on the couch before picking up the astrologer. 

Soul heavily blushed as the alchemist held her in his arms, cuddling her. Though she would have to admit, he was really warm, and his warmth was what she needed right now. The feeling of sanctuary she felt last night coming back.

"When I see your monsters, I'll stand there so brave." Varian sang again, remembering that what happened today was sure to cause triggers about her brother, and she would surely continue to blame herself. "And chase them all away." He finished, hugging her closer. After a few seconds, the girl returned the hug, burying her face in his chest. "You feeling better?"

"Not really." She half-lied. Soul actually felt a bit better, but it was only because of the alchemist's presence. 

"Are you okay enough to see the Memoria Vitris-

"NO!" Soul shouted frantically, not letting the boy finish his statement. "After today, I think it's clear that me and cliffs should never meet again." She said, nuzzling her face on Varian's chest, which the boy was very happy about. "You know at this point, I'm not even embarrassed to cry in front of you anymore." Soul weakly laughed, wiping her tears.

"And at this point, I'm not even scared to hug you anymore." Varian replied, laughing as well.

"Don't even start, Beaver Teeth. I might just not get enough of it." Soul replied, slightly pushing the boy away. Varian felt his cheeks heat up at the girl's words. What does she mean? He thought. Varian was about to question the girl when she suddenly hugged him. "Thanks for always being there for me. It really means a lot." Soul said as she placed a small kiss on the alchemist's cheek before covering herself with the blanket again, muttering a quick goodnight.

Varian placed a hand on his cheek as he turned to look at the animals. Ruddiger and Flick intertwined their tails together forming a heart as they snickered at the blushing alchemist, Pascal turned into a pink color pointing his tail at the boy then pointing it at the girl. Varian shooed them away, slightly annoyed as he exited the caravan.

"How's Soul?" Rapunzel asked, perking up as Varian came out of the caravan.

"She's sleeping." He replied, still caressing his cheek. "What are you guys doing?" He asked, sitting beside Lance.

"We just thought to give you two some space while you talked." The brunette replied as she was fixing Catalina's hair.

"And now that you are done talking, I'm turning in for the night." Eugene yawned, waving as he entered the caravan. "You coming, Sunshine?"

"Be right there!" Rapunzel tied Catalina's hair into a twin braid before following Eugene into the caravan. 

"You girls should sleep as well. It's way past your bedtime." Lance instructed as the two girls protested. "No buts! You two also had a long night, go on." Kiera groaned before letting out a small yawn as Catalina helped her sister up and enter the caravan. "You coming in, little man?"

"I'll turn in later." Varian declined, smiling at the man.

"Well, alright. I'm bushed!"

Biting his lip, he called out. "Hey, Lance?"

"Yeah?" Lance hummed, turning around to face the fidgeting alchemist.

"I decided to take your advice and accept it." Varian shyly confessed, playing with his fingers. Lance's mind processed what the alchemist said before it clicked. 

"We will continue this conversation tomorrow. I am too tired to react right now." The man excitedly said, before yawning. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Varian's voice trailed off as he touched his cheek again, sighing dreamily.

"If it was allowed, I am never washing this cheek again. But that would be disgusting and unsanitary." 


	37. Chapter 36: What is this Feeling?

It was about six in the morning when the group left the foot of Mount Ina. Currently, it's ten near lunchtime, and Soul was still sleeping soundly. Aside from the fact that nobody wanted to feel the wrath of the girl, knowing that she hates getting woken up, they also thought that she needed more rest prior to what happened last night. Varian was brushing Ruddiger's tail when Lance seated himself next to the teen.

"Don't think I forgot what you told me last night, little man." He said, placing his chin on his hand and leaning on his lap, looking at the teen. Varian blushed a bit before Lance spoke again. "SOoooooOO? What made you accept it so soon?"

"Umm, I guess it was just hard for me to keep it in..." He answered, putting the brush down as Ruddiger got off his lap to play with Flick.

"Oh, come on! I'm sure there's more to that. Spill the tea." Lance prodded, leaning closer to the teen so no one else would hear them. Especially a certain astrologer, who was sleeping on the couch across from them. "What did you like about her?"

Varian looked down, fidgeting a bit. "What I like about her? Well, I like how -" A groan interrupted what the teen was saying. Turning their heads to the source, they saw Soul stretching her arms out as Sir Hoots-a-lot flew circles above her, hooting loudly, suggesting that the owl had woken her up. "Let's talk later." Varian whispered. Lance pouted, disappointed he won't get to hear the teen's answer right now but agreed nonetheless.

"We're moving?" Soul murmured, rubbing her eyes.

"Good mornin', sleeping beauty~!" Varian greeted in a somewhat flirty tone, smirking while Lance tried to hide his squeal. Pink dusted the girl's cheeks as she muttered a small greeting.

"Did we already leave Mount Ina?" She asked, sitting properly, folding her blanket, and placing it under her pillow. "What about Gene? Will he be okay?"

"We left hours ago. I visited Gene before we left, and he still seems pretty angry." Rapunzel answered while painting on a piece of paper. 

"If we weren't in a hurry, we could have stayed for a little while. Losing someone is hard, and you really need a shoulder to cry on during those times, whether they like to or not." Soul stated, looking down when she felt someone hugging her.

"I'm so sorry about Rico. I know you never wanted that to happen." Rapunzel consoled as the girl leaned in more in the hug.

"Thanks. I'm a bit over about his death, really. It's just I don't think I would be able to stomach getting close to cliffs again. I've had enough of them." Soul reassured, pulling away from the brunette. 

"If you say so." 

"By the way, what time is it?" Soul wondered as she looked out the window. The sun was high enough not to be early morning.

"10:24." Lance answered, looking at his pocket watch.

"We let you sleep in. We thought you needed the rest." Rapunzel added.

"Thanks, but don't worry. I'm fine." Standing up, Soul grabbed her spellbook and walked to where Kiera and Catalina were, pulling them up. "Want to come with me up on the roof?"

"Why? What are we doing?" Catalina asked, getting up from the bed and following the older girl.

"Didn't you two say you want to see more magic spells?" The astrologer asked in a playful tone, causing the two younger girls to break out in wide grins. "So, come on!"

Catalina and Kiera cheered as they followed Soul climb up the ladder to the roof. "Be careful not to fall off you guys!" Rapunzel called, earning a chorus of 'yes' from the girls upstairs.

"Now, you were saying?" Lance questioned, turning towards the teen, giving him a teasing smile as he waited for an answer.

\-------------------------------------

"Ice avem!" Soul shouted as a bird made of ice appeared out of her hands.

"Woaah! Can you make it move?" Kiera asked, staring at the small ice bird.

"I'm afraid I can't. That would take so much energy." The girl replied, wiping a sweat as she gave the black-haired girl the ice bird.

"I didn't know you could use other elements. I thought you can only use fire." Catalina stated, swaying her upper body side-to-side.

"I can. It's just that I like fire more. It's much more flexible. It could be used as a light source and as an offense. And it also takes less energy." Soul said, sitting down.

"What's the strongest element you can use?" Kiera asked this time, giving the ice bird to her sister.

Soul placed a hand on her chin, looking up. "I think my strongest element would be air." She replied, raising a curious brow as she thought more. "Yeah, it would probably be air."

"How come you never use air spells if it's your strongest element?"

"I'm pretty sure air wouldn't be useful when fighting off shadow henchmen and shadow beasts." The astrologer replied. "Plus, I don't really know any air spells." She added, scratching her cheek.

"Ehh? Then how did you know it's your strongest element?" Catalina questioned, handing back the ice bird to her younger sister, who placed it in her pocket.

"Well, I just based it off my star sign's element, which is Gemini, and Gemini's elemental territory is air." Flipping her book on a certain page, Soul mumbled the spell, and her hands glowed black. Raising her hand, she drew the symbols of the zodiacs in the air. Catalina and Kiera's eyes grew wide as drawings suddenly appeared out of thin air, letting out small gasps. "The 12 zodiacs are separated into four elements: Fire, water, earth, and air. " Soul drew triangles connecting selected elements together. " Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are fire. Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are air. Pisces, Scorpio, and Cancer are water, and Capricorn, Virgo, and Taurus are Earth." She then drew a line connecting Gemini and Sagittarius together. "It is said that the three signs in front of a Zodiac are what they are most compatible with. With that being said, Gemini is compatible with Aquarius, Libra, and Sagittarius, which is the sign across from Gemini. Also note that Sagittarius is a fire sign, meaning fire is my second strongest element."

"What about earth and water?" Kiera curiously asked, becoming more intrigued at what Soul was explaining.

"I can use them as spells, but it would take larger amounts of energy, and it would take long for me to master them." Soul answered, waving a hand, and the drawings disappeared, making the girls sigh sadly as they enjoyed the drawings. Hearing the trapdoor being opened and closed, the girls turned their heads to see a walking tomato, which was Varian, angrily but carefully stomping over to where the girls were.

"I am not going back in there for a while." He stated, flopping down next to the astrologer, who suddenly felt conscious.

"Why? What happened?" Catalina asked, leaning back on her arms.

"Lance happened. I won't say what, but it's because of him." He replied, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair, unaware that his actions made the girl beside him tremble more. "So, what were you guys doing?" 

"Soul was showing us more magic spells!" Catalina enthusiastically answered.

"She even made drawings appear out of thin air!" Kiera added as she held an imaginary pen, acting as if she's drawing.

"And she gave us a small lecture about the Zodiacs."

Turning towards the girl, Varian raised an eyebrow, impressed by what he heard. "Ohh? Care to show me?" He requested, giving the girl a teasing smirk. Soul coughed a bit, shaking her head.

"I'm- I'm already out of energy, maybe next time?" She replied, averting her eyes somewhere else. Varian looked at her in slight confusion before shrugging it off, and turning his head to look at the two girls in front of them.

"Who wants to see my alchemy in action?" He asked, reaching to his small belt bag.

"Not to hurt your feelings V, but we always see in your alchemy in action. Plus, we don't want the caravan to explode." Kiera answered, crossing her arms. Varian's face fell, and for some reason, the girl next to him didn't like it one bit.

"I want to see." Soul requested, pulling her knees close to her body and leaning her head on them. The alchemist turned to look at her, his eyes widening slightly. "I mean if it's okay with you?" 

Varian's face lit up as he grinned widely. He grabbed two vials from his belt bag, shaking them before opening it and pouring the yellow one into the blue one, creating a green chemical. "My research stated that it was possible to make things invisible using a specific compound, and I believe that this chemical can do it!" He stated while pouring a white liquid into the green chemical he created earlier as Kiera and Catalina scooted backwards, urging the astrologer to do the same. 

"Why are we moving away from him?" Soul whispered towards the black-haired child.

"So we don't die."

"Now, behold the beauty of alchemy!" He shouted, standing up and raising the vial up high before pouring the mixture on himself while the girls braced themselves for an explosion. 

"Hoot! Hoot! Hoot!" Silence enveloped the four as Sir Hoots-a-lot's hooting was the only thing to be heard. 

"Did it work?" Varian quietly asked, looking at himself.

"Wow, It worked! I can't see your dignity anymore." Kiera sarcastically applauded, while Catalina and Soul shook their head simultaneously. Varian sadly sighed as he flopped down, pouting.

"I may have miscalculated a few things." He muttered, pulling out a small notebook and pen from his belt bag, proceeding to take down notes. Soul watched the alchemist, who had his tongue sticking out, his eyebrows creasing in sheer focus as he furiously wrote on his notebook. "I'm an idiot! It was supposed to be just half a vial, not the whole thing!" Varian shouted.

"Hey, Soul. Don't you do alchemy as well?" Catalina asked, turning to the lavender-haired girl.

"Oh, um, yeah. But unlike Varian, I don't enjoy it as much." Soul replied, waving her hands.

"Oh, yeah. I remember when you and Varian used to argue about which one was better."

"I still think alchemy is better." Varian provoked, giving the girl a charming smirk as he leaned towards her. His actions made Soul's face heat up for some strange reason. "What? Not gonna respond? That's unusual." He said, leaning back.

"I-I'm going down now. I feel a bit lightheaded, yeah! Um, bye!" Soul stammered, excusing herself as she opened the trapdoor and climbing down.

"Was it something I said?" Varian frowned, turning towards the girls in front of him as the two shrugged their shoulders.

\-------------------------------------

"Flick, Hoots, am I sick?" Soul asked the fox that was eating a bunch of berries beside her, and the owl that was munching on a mouse he caught. Flick looked up at his owner, tilting his head on the side. The girl sighed sadly as she opened her satchel, checking on the orbs which were thankfully still there. 

"Hey, there!" Startled, Soul almost dropped her satchel when a hand caught it, pulling it up. "I'm sorry, did I scare you?" Varian laughed, giving the satchel to the girl. 

" Is this going to be a regular thing? You popping up everywhere?" She asked, quickly taking the satchel and putting it on before picking up Flick and gesturing Hoots to follow them, leaving a confused and slightly hurt Varian.

"I was just going to ask why you weren't eating with us...."

\-----*Timeskip to after 4 days of traveling. Which would be October 12*--------

"So, um... what are you doing here with me again?" Eugene questioned, eyeing the lavender-haired girl beside him.

"Do you really hate me that much to not want me here?" Soul frowned, creasing her eyebrows.

Eugene stared at her for a second before answering. "I don't know if you're joking with me or you're serious, which makes me very scared to answer your question."

"I just want fresh air." The girl sighed, leaning back, using her arms to cushion her head as she stared at the scenery in front of her. The trees were painted in warm colors as dried leaves littered the dirt path they were traveling on. There were some squirrels preparing for hibernation as they collected and stored nuts in their chosen trees. The group was heading to Aurora village where Aquarius' temple was located. 

Eugene could tell the girl was lying but kept his mouth shut, not wanting to irritate the girl.

"RUDDIGER, GET BACK HERE!" Varian yelled as Ruddiger exited the caravan to jump on an apple tree he found, picking one and eating it. Soul watched from the window how the alchemist coaxed the raccoon to come back. Feeling someone staring at him, Varian turned his head towards the window to the coachmen's boot to see nothing. Shaking his head, he turned back to the window outside, trying to call his raccoon, unaware that Ruddier was already by his side. 

Soul placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm her erratic heartbeat. She was worried that the alchemist may have spotted her watching him. After a few seconds, she looked through the window again. Varian was now playing a game of cards with the others. Except for Rapunzel as she was painting in her journal. The astrologer watched how the alchemist focused on the game. How Varian would cheer ever so often when he drew a card he needed, and how he would pout cutely when Kiera would beat him, making him pay using his cookies.

"Who're we stalking?" Eugene whispered in the astrologer's ear.

.

.

.

SLAP!

"I AM SO SORRY!"

"It's....fine.... Ow."

\------------October 14------------------------------

The group stopped by in a nearby town to stock up some supplies, especially in the food department. 

Rapunzel turned towards everyone, placing her hands on her hips. "Alright, we'll split our jobs into three. Someone needs to take care of the food." 

"We'll handle it!" Lance volunteered while the two children nodded their heads.

"Okay, so the Schnitz family is in charge of the food. How about repairs? Varian, Soul, can we count on you two?"

"I don't mind!" Varian excitedly answered, secretly happy to be finally spending time with the astrologer. After all, the girl was somehow ignoring him for the past few days.

"Great! Then Eugene and I will handle the other necessities." The brunette exclaimed.

"Umm, can I come with you instead, princess?" Soul interjected, playing with a strand of her hair. Rapunzel's eyes widened as she and Eugene shared a worried glance.

"It's fine with that, but are you sure you don't want to help make some repairs to the caravan? I mean, you and Varian are much more knowledgeable in terms of fixing things." Rapunzel asked, looking at the girl for confirmation. Aside from repairs, the reason she wanted the two to be together was because she noticed how the girl was avoiding the alchemist. Rapunzel could see how it was affecting Varian, and she hoped that maybe they could make amends while repairing.

"I'm sure! And uh, I want to explore more since this is my first time going outside." Soul determinedly stated, clasping her hands together. However, she wasn't fooling the couple. Eugene and Rapunzel could clearly see in her eyes that there's another reason, and that's avoiding their poor friend, who seemed to be heartbroken that his new-claimed best friend and crush didn't want to be left alone with him.

"Sunshine, you should let her go with you. And maybe when you're alone, you can ask her why she's avoiding Varian." Eugene whispered. The brunette nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, come on, Soul. If we leave now, we could come back earlier and continue traveling for a while before sunset." Rapunzel stated as Soul let out a soft relieved sigh.

"Be careful, you two!" Eugene shouted as he and Varian watched the two girls walk down the path to the town, with Flick following them. Varian sadly sighed, hunching his back. "Don't worry. I asked Rapunzel to talk to her. Maybe when they come back, she'll hang out with you again," Eugene consoled, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I hope so..." Varian replied, smiling, though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

\-------------------------------------------------- 

"Two bags of those chamomiles, please!" Rapunzel requested, paying for the bag of herbs. 

"That's a lot of chamomiles, don't you think?" Soul asked in an uncertain tone, not really sure what they would be doing with two bags of chamomile. 

"I read that chamomile is a cure-all type of herb. Plus, they make great tea!" The brunette exclaimed, making the astrologer laugh a little. "What else is on our list?" Rapunzel asked as they continued to stroll down the small market place, bumping into the Schnitz family every now and then.

"We still need to buy new water bottles since most of them are getting quite rusty. We also need to buy extra wheels, just in case if we need them." Soul replied, listing down all the other things they need. Occasionally swatting Flick's tail as the fox was sitting on her shoulder, and his tail sometimes gets to her nose.

"Phew, that's a lot. I sure hope this town has them all." Rapunzel stated, wiping imaginary sweat from her temple.

"Yeah, I mean. We don't need half of what's on the list yet, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared, right?" The girl replied, poking Flick's nose, silently scolding him for tickling her nose with his tail.

"Say, Soul?" The brunette began. Soul let out a hum, looking up at the older girl, urging her to continue. "Tell me the truth, are you avoiding Varian?" Rapunzel asked.

Soul's gravity-defying hair strands perked up along with her shoulders as she looked around, but the princess's green eyes. "Well, um. I can't say I've been avoiding him. More like um, eh... you know just, giving my heart a break?" 

Rapunzel raised a curious brow at the girl's statement as she stopped walking. "Give your heart a break? Why?" She questioned, looking slightly concerned. 

"How do I put this? You see, I think I might be going sick when he's near." Soul replied, swaying back and forth as she fiddled with Flick's tail. If what the astrologer said earlier made Rapunzel slightly concerned, now she's super concerned. Was Varian sick and it's somewhat contagious?

"What- what do you mean you might be going sick? What's wrong, are you alright?"

"Uhhm, my heart beats faster than normal when he's near. I suddenly get conscious, and uh, I find his smile more... cuter than before." The astrologer explained, whispering the last part quickly. "Also, he's starting to pop up everywhere. Like his presence is much more noticeable than before." Rapunzel stared dumbfoundedly as she broke into a wide grin.

"Um, Soul. Do you know what love is?" Rapunzel asked, trying to hide her excitement.

"Of course, I read a bunch of romance novels back home. Love can either be platonic or romantic and is different for everyone." Soul answered with a serious expression.

"Uh huh. Since you know what love is, don't you think this is what you're experiencing right now?"

"Me? Love Varian? NO! I can't love him. I only met him like 6-7 months ago. Plus, love is too deep." Soul disagreed, blushing furiously. "And love has different symptoms. If you love someone, you must need the to feel the urge to protect them at all times, that you want to stay with them forever, and that you are prepared to have a family with them."

"Where did you learn all that?" Rapunzel sweatdropped, sharing a look with Pascal.

"From my brother! Well, most were from the books, but my brother helped explain some. Though he didn't explain them in full details." 

"Right. Well, I'm sure it's not love yet, but what you do have is a crush." The brunette asked. 

Soul looked up confusedly at the brunette. "Crush?" She muttered, imagining a boulder crushing Varian. "What?? I don't want to crush Varian!" Soul panicked.

"Gosh, you're so adorable! Anyways, no, that's not the crush I'm talking about. A crush is much more softer than love. It's not as serious as love, but it still holds the same admiration and fondness over that person." Rapunzel fully explained.

Soul looked down in thought before looking back up at the brunette. "If I'm right, this crush can transform into love, right?" Rapunzel nodded. "But I don't want it to transform into love soon."

"Why?" The princess questioned, raising her brows.

"Well, wouldn't falling in love at a time like this seems wrong? We're busy at the moment, and I don't really like personal things stopping me from working." Soul stated seriously. 

"It's alright if you feel that way. You know, I quite admire how you set your priorities straight." Rapunzel joked, lightening up the mood a bit. "But it doesn't mean that you should ignore Varian until our journey is over. He's still your friend, right?"

"He's not my friend. He's my best friend. I think, I mean, the number of things he's done for me....oh my gosh! I'm so stupid! The number of times he offered himself as someone I can cry on, and tell my problems to, and I just suddenly avoid him." Soul growled in realization, smacking her forehead.

"Woah! Hey, stop that." Rapunzel instructed, grabbing the girl's hand to stop her from hitting her forehead. "And it's not too late yet to apologize, you know?" She said, smiling. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Varian was underneath the caravan, fixing some possible loose screws and oiling the wheels when he heard a small clink, and the smell of ham and mayonnaise filled his senses. Crawling out from under the vehicle, a plate of ham sandwiches and a glass of hot cocoa greeted him with an astrologer sitting behind the food.

"Soul?" He mumbled, trying to hide his smile as he stared at the girl.

"You have something on your nose." Soul said, pointing at her nose. Varian wiped his nose when the girl shook her head before reaching out and wiping something off his nose. "You had a bit of dirt..."

The alchemist blushed as he set down his screwdriver, sitting on his knees, staring at the food. "Um, what's this?"

"Isn't ham sandwiches and hot cocoa your favorite?" Soul asked to confirm the small trivia.

"I'm surprised you remembered. But um, what is it for?" Varian asked again, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the girl.

"It's for you, Beaver teeth! I figured you might be hungry because I know Eugene's not going to help you repair stuff." The astrologer explained, crossing her arms. "And...take it as an apology for....ignoring you." She shyly said.

Varian stopped chewing as he looked at the girl with wide eyes. So, she really was ignoring me... He thought sadly. "It's fine. Why were you ignoring me?"

"I didn't want to ignore you...it's just I had a lot in my mind, and I guess I was just embarrassed." Soul half-lied. There was no way she was going to say the real reason she was avoiding him. That's way too embarrassing and soon. Varian's eyes softened a bit, knowing that the girl was telling the truth.

"Are we okay now, though?" He asked as hope sparked in him, waiting for the astrologer's reply.

"Of course! I mean, there's no way I'm finding someone else to cry on." She teased, lightening the mood.

"I'm wounded! You only use me for your own selfish interest!" Varian cried, covering his face before bursting out laughing. Soul joined the alchemist, laughing light-heartedly. Happy that they were talking again.


	38. Chapter 37: The Chief's Daughter

*October 16*

"Once more! You can do it!"

"Autem!" A purple aura surrounded the book as it slightly floated. "A-autem!" Soul shouted again, focusing more of her energy toward her hand and into the book. Her body trembled a little before the book floated towards the ceiling.

"You did it!" Rapunzel cheered as Pascal flashed into different colors, imitating a disco ball.

"I knew you could do it." Varian clapped.

"Yay! Go, Soul!" Kiera and Catalina cheered, bouncing on the bed until Lance told them not to jump on the bed, or jump anywhere while the caravan is moving.

"That took too much of my energy." Soul breathed out as she flopped down on her couch. She took her blanket and laid it flatly on the couch before laying down herself, rolling on it. "I'm gonna take a nap."

Snorting, Varian picked up Flick and Ruddiger, who was playing cards (?), placing them on top of Soul's burrito blanket. "Uh, no. You can't sleep now."

"Why nooooot? I deserve the rest. Plus, my energy's drained enough." The girl whined out, sneezing a bit because of Ruddiger's tail on her nose.

"Yeah, about that. Why don't you try to regain your energy back by not sleeping? Try to push your limits a bit." Varian suggested, making the astrologer's eyes snap open.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" She shouted, stressing on the 'try.'

"No, but what I'm trying to do is to try and make you prolong the use of your, um, m-magic. Wouldn't that be much more useful and convenient for you?" 

"I tried that before, and I almost DIED. DO YOU WANT ME TO DIE?" Soul barked angrily. 

"NO! It's just that I noticed that maybe that's why you're having a bit of trouble using advanced spells." Varian hypothesized.

"Varian, listen. MY magic is limited, and it does not come from me. Meaning there would really be some other spells that I cannot use and would drain more of my energy." Soul explained, narrowing her eyes at the boy standing in front of her.

"Oh? So, where did your magic come from?" Rapunzel questioned upon hearing what the girl said. "I mean, every magic has a source, right?"

"Apparently, that's not my case. Remember what I told you guys when I first met you?" Soul asked as she sat up, still wrapped up like a burrito, causing the fox and the raccoon to jump off her. 

"That you're not a witch, but you have friends who are?" Lance replied unsurely, gazing upwards as he tried to remember if what he said was correct.

Soul nodded her head. "Yep. When I was seven, two witches stumbled upon our home, asking for help as one of them was wounded. My brother was hesitant at first, but he decided to let them in anyway, helping them. While Gold was tending to the witch's friend, I conversed with the other, and he entertained me by showing me some simple magic spells. I was entranced with how he can make the water float and how he could make rainbows appear. Since I was just a child back then, I thought how cool it would be if I could use magic as well. So, I pestered the witch to teach me some. He agreed, albeit unsurely, but he then thought that what's the harm done? It's not like I could actually do them, he said. That's why he was so surprised and scared, I think, when he saw I made fire appear using accenderet." The girl shared as she somewhat struggled to get out of her blanket. 

"And he taught you how to control it after that?" Rapunzel asked.

"Not really. I actually pestered the both of them to teach me more spells. I was a pretty persistent and annoying child back then. If it weren't for me using accenderet every time they said no, they probably wouldn't have taught me more." Soul laughed, recalling the time she clung to the witch's leg while throwing fire everywhere, to which the other witch had to disperse. "Gold didn't like the idea of me learning magic, but he also didn't want the house to burn down."

"Gosh, who knew you were so annoying even back then?" Varian teased.

"You're lucky I'm stuck in my blanket, or else I would have bonked you in the head, Beaver Teeth." Soul threatened, narrowing her eyes at the alchemist.

"Well, then. I thank the stars for my luck."

.

.

.

"Please help me. I really am stuck..."

"No way, I'm gonna die."

"You're still gonna die if you don't release me right now!"

\---------------*Timeskip to a few hours after lunch*---------------------------------------------------

It's mid-afternoon, and everyone is just chilling inside the caravan. Eugene switched with Lance for a while, the latter saying that Eugene should rest, to which the ex-thief was super thankful for. 

"How did you know when the Zodiacs' peaks were?" Kiera asked, looking up at the lavender-haired girl who was brushing her hair.

Thinking for a bit, Soul answered. "Well, believe it or not. I actually kept track of them with the help of some books. You see, the books never fully stated what time you could actually see them. They only stated where. So, I took it as a challenge. When I started my star chart, I made sure to keep another journal where I would record what time, position in the sky, and date when I saw the constellations." She stopped for a bit as she grabbed the hair tie next to her, tying Kiera's hair into a small ponytail. "It wasn't easy, but after two years of constant studying and barely sleeping, I finally finished the star chart. And I'd say that my start chart would be the most accurate one out there." She proudly stated.

"Just how much do you stay up late?" Catalina questioned, hearing the astrologer's answer.

"Every night. Being an astrologer, you can't not stay up late. How on earth would you be able to study the stars if you sleep early."

"That's really unhealthy. How are you still alive right now?" Kiera commented, grimacing a bit.

Soul only chuckled in response. "I don't really know."

"So when's Aquarius' peak?" Eugene questioned, stretching his legs and placing them on the small table, almost knocking Varian's vials to which the alchemist gave him an angry glare.

The astrologer got off Kiera and Catalina's shared bed and walked off to her couch. She kneeled on the floor, pulling out her rucksack underneath, opening it, and rummaging through the various items inside before grabbing a smaller journal than her usual ones. "Aquarius....aha! Her peak will be on October 31. Hey! It's Halloween and a full moon during the peak. Nothing more creepier." Soul exclaimed as she smiled at the group.

"What a nice way to spend Halloween." Varian commented, rolling his eyes through his goggles.

"Hey, guys! We have a minor problem.." Lance called, trailing off. 

"What is it, bud?" Eugene asked, standing up and sitting on the bench by the window to where Lance was.

"Please! Let me go! I don't have any money with me." A girl, who seems to be in Varian's age, screamed as a group of four men surrounded her.

"Maybe you don't have any money, but maybe you can give us something else?" One of the goons stated as he gazed at the girl with lustful eyes, placing a hand under the girl's chin.

The girl swatted the man's hand away, backing up against a tree. "Don't touch me you, fiends! Don't you know who I am? I am the daughter of the chief of Aurora Village. I'll make sure to get you goons arrested and imprisoned!" She threatened, pointing at each of the men.

"Is she an idiot? You don't state those things when you're about to get snatched." Soul whispered critically as she watched the scene.

"Chief's daughter, eh? Well, the more the reason to get you." One man said as he walked closer to the blonde girl.

"Told you." 

"Shouldn't we help? This could end up badly." Varian suggested as he watched the scene with worried eyes. A heroic spark filled his sense as he remembered how no one helped him when he needed help.

"No, stay away!" The girl screamed.

"Hey! Step away from the girl." Varian shouted, standing tall and glaring at the men, trying to seem intimidating. Soul and the others looked at where Varian was earlier to see comical lines silhouetting his figure.

"He's fast." Kiera voiced.

"And who are you, pipsqueak? Go home unless you want to leave with broken bones." One of the men stated, cracking his knuckles. Varian swallowed the lump in his throat as he walked in front of the girl. Shielding her from the men.

"Leave. Now!" He firmly stated. The men looked at him funny before they all burst out laughing.

"You're gonna get it now, boy!" The closest one to them shouted before grabbing Varian's collar and pulling him up and throwing him out of the way. "Now, where were we?" The man rhetorically asked when he felt the tip of a sword on the back of his neck.

"You hurt one of us. you deal with all of us." Eugene stated, narrowing his eyes at the man. The man turned around, and when he saw who was behind him, he cowered in fear.

"Flynn Rider!" He shakily breathed out. 

"It's Eugene now, but whatever." The man looked behind Eugene, seeing two of his comrades being held down the ground by Lance and the girls, while the other one was stuck on a tree with purple goo around him. "Now, do you want to end up like your pals?"

"N-No. Please, spare us!" The bandit begged, kneeling.

"Good! Now, scram!" Eugene shouted, sending the man into a running frenzy as the others released his friends, causing them to run away as well.

"Varian, are you okay? You idiot! If you were going to act all heroic, at least inform us." Soul scolded as she pulled the alchemist up, dusting him off.

"I'm fine." He answered, smiling before turning to look at the other girl. "How about you? Are you okay?"

The girl didn't answer as she only stared at the alchemist. Varian and Soul shared a confused look when the blonde girl suddenly pounced on him, startling him and Soul. "You're my hero! You didn't have to save me, but you did. And you were so cool! And WAAAH! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" She screamed as he nuzzled her cheek on the alchemist's cheek.

"U-um, no problem. But would you please get off of me?" Varian requested, blushing from the close contact.

"Oh! I'm sorry." She apologized, pulling away. Varian coughed a bit, straightening himself. His cheeks, still red. "My name is Lana. I'm from Aurora Village. Nice to meet you." Lana introduced curtsying and smiling at the alchemist. 

"Aurora Village? Is it close here?" Soul questioned after recovering from the slight shock from what she witnessed earlier. 

Lana's smile disappeared as she looked at the smaller girl. "No. It's on the next town over." She answered flatly, making Soul's eye twitch a bit. The blonde turned towards Varian, and her cute facade instantly returned. "Who are you, my hero?"

"My name's Varian. "

"Waaaah! Even your name sounds so heroic~." She cooed, cupping her cheeks. The blonde's actions caused something to flame up inside a certain astrologer's eyes, while Varian found it really uncomfortable.

"Hi! My name's Soul." Soul chirped.

"Don't care!" Lana chirped back, giving Soul a fake closed-eyed smile.

"If Aurora Village is not near here, what are you doing here away from your village?" Rapunzel asked as she pulled the fuming astrologer away.

"I'm looking for some Irises." Lana simply answered, holding up a bouquet of Delphinium. The group went silent as they stared at the blonde.

"Why would you leave your village for a bouquet of Irises?" Eugene queried, not grasping why someone would waste their time for a flower.

"Well, our village holds an annual flower contest. I'm no good at gardening, and why waste my time growing flowers when I can pick them?" The blonde stated, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm pretty sure what your holding are not Irises. Those are Delphinium." Soul deadpanned.

Lana looked at the flowers before shrugging. "Tomato, tomato."

"Well, we're heading to Aurora Village. Why don't you join us?" Varian offered. Lana's eyes sparkled, furiously nodding her head. 

"Are you sure you can tolerate her, Var? Because I can't." Soul whispered towards the alchemist. The teen's cheeks reddened a little at the small nickname before responding that they should let her come as it would be rude not to.

"Can I sit with you Vari? Oh, I hope you don't mind I gave you a nickname." Lana said in a high pitched tone, grabbing onto Varian's arm.

"U-um. Sure, I guess."

"Yay!" The blonde squealed happily as she and Varian entered the caravan. Soul watched the two, not understanding why she felt angry. 

"It's just because of her personality. That's why I'm irritated. Yeah." She reassured herself before joining the others inside the caravan.

\----------------------------------------------------

"Daddy! I'm home!!" Lana shouted as she exited the vehicle and jumping on her father's arms.

"Lana, I was so worried! Where were you? Where have you been?" The man questioned, concern laced his tone. He then twirled the girl around, checking her for any injuries.

"Dad, I'm fine. Sure, I may have been in small trouble, but Varian saved me~." She replied, cupping her blushing cheeks.

"Varian? Who's Varian?"

"Um, me, sir." The alchemist answered, shyly stepping out of the caravan. Lana's father stared down Varian's small form, causing him to slowly back away.

"He saved you, you say?" Varian gulped, feeling uncomfortable every second the man continued to stare at him. Suddenly, the man's intimidating aura disappeared as he smiled brightly, pulling the teen in a hug. "Thank you so much for keeping my little girl safe, Varein."

"Dad, his name is Varian. Get it right!" Lana corrected.

"I'm sorry. Varian! My name is Lalo. I'm the village's chief. Now, who are your other friends?" Lalo asked, gesturing to the others who exited the caravan a while ago.

"Hello! I'm Rapunzel. This is my fiance, Eugene, and this chameleon is Pascal." Rapunzel spoke. 

"My name's Lance, and these are my daughters, Kiera and Catalina." Lance introduced, pointing at the girls respectively.

"They must take after their mother." Lalo commented, making Lance blush in embarrassment.

"They're um, adopted."

"Oh. Forgive me for assuming." 

"And my name's Soul, Soul Rivers." Lalo's eyes widened at the mention of the lavender-haired girl's surname. 

"Rivers?" He asked.

"Yes, sir. Why?" Soul asked back, raising a curious brow at the man.

"Nothing, It's just that- never mind. You wouldn't understand anyway." Lalo replied, taking back what he was supposed to say. 

"Wait, are you talking about Wisteria and Igneous-"

"You know them? How did you know?" The man questioned, his voice boomed as he grabbed the girl's shoulders and shaking her lightly.

"U-um, from the Memoria Vitris, sir." Soul answered, wincing a bit from the man's strong grip.

"Sir, you're hurting her!" Varian called out. Lalo instantly let Soul go, coughing a small apology as he backed away. 

"Thanks." Soul said, rubbing her shoulders.

"I'm sorry about that. It's just, I knew them, and -." Lalo stopped. He coughed a little before continuing. "It doesn't matter. So, what are you here for?" He questioned, straightening his form. 

Soul walked forward, bowing her head. "Gene, protector of Capricorn's temple, gave us permission to proceed here and ask your permission to enter Aquarius' temple on the day of the peak and take her orb." 

Lalo crossed his arms, nodding his head. "Very well, you can stay here until the day of the peak. Lana, lead them to the village inn." 

"Of course. But can Varian stay in our home?" Lana requested, grabbing the alchemist's arm. Varian's cheeks heated up at the blonde's suggestion, while Soul, on the other hand, gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"I would rather stay with my friends if you don't mind." He objected.

"But the beds in our house are far more comfortable than in the inn."

"I'll manage, thank you." Lana pouted but accepted Varian's answer anyway. She glanced behind the alchemist to see a certain lavender-haired girl smirking a bit, causing her to growl at the girl slightly.

"Well, let's go." The blonde beckoned as everyone followed her.

\-------------------------

"And this would be your room." Opening the door to one of the rooms in the inn, the room Lana gave Soul was the smallest and the most unused out of all the other rooms. "It's the only room left."

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's not true. Soul thought.

"Sure, whatever you say." Soul replied. She was about to enter the room when Lana grabbed her wrist and pulled Soul closer to her, whispering at the astrologer's ear. The blonde's actions made Flick growl at her, while Sir Hoots-a-lot was ready to fly towards the girl and start pecking at her.

"Don't take this personally. I know Varian's traveling with you and all, but I'll make sure to make him stay here with me." Soul blushed furiously as she pushed the taller girl away.

"Look. I don't care if you like him, because I don't. " Soul stated, looking away as she tried to keep her unwanted temper. Lana let out a small hum, leaning on the door frame, folding her arms on her chess. 

"Really?" The blonde prodded. Soul bit her lip before turning to look at the blonde's hazel eyes.

"I still don't know for sure. This feeling is new to me." She confessed. 

"Well, whether you're sure or not, he's still mine." That was all Lana said before she left, just in time as Rapunzel entered the girl's room.

"Wow, she made her dislike towards you very clear." The brunette commented as she looked around the room Soul was going to be staying in. "Do you want to switch with Eugene? We could have a sleepover if you do!"

"It's alright. Maybe next time?" Soul suggested, giving the older girl a small smile.

"If that's what you want." Rapunzel looked down at the girl before speaking again. "Is there something you want to ask me?" She questioned, seeing the astrologer fidgeting and swaying.

"Um...." Soul hummed, thinking if she should ask. "Earlier, when Lana was all over Varian. I felt angry, and I don't like seeing them together..."

Rapunzel let out a small giggle as she affectionately rubbed the girl's head. Squishing her cheeks lightly. "It's called jealousy. Which means you were jealous that Lana was getting too close to Varian."

"I thought that only applies to love and other things?" Soul asked, looking up.

"It also applies to crushes." Rapunzel replied, poking the girl's nose. "Now, are you sure you don't want to switch?" 

"I'm sure!" The brunette nodded her head before waving goodbye to the astrologer. Soul looked down at Flick before turning to look at the dirty bed.

"It's only for 15 days. I can handle this."


	39. Chapter 38: A Temple behind the Fountain

Five days after they first arrived at the village, Soul watched how Varian and Lana interacted. Though it was clear how uncomfortable Varian felt, it still irked the astrologer how he allowed the disgusting spitting llama to even come close to him.

"I soooo cannot handle this anymore..." Soul deadpanned as she tried not to vomit at the scene in front of her.

"Come on~! It's delicious." Lana exclaimed, pushing an ice cream cone towards Varian, to which he was pushing away.

"No, thank you. I don't really like cold treats well, in the cold." He declined.

The blonde teenager didn't take no for an answer as she kept pushing the ice cream cone. "Please? Just try it! I'll bet after one lick you'll love it." She insisted. Varian's eyes darted around when he spotted a familiar lavender-haired girl walking towards them.

"Varian! There you are. I was looking everywhere for you. Have you forgotten you were gonna teach me more about alchemy?" Soul called as she grabbed the alchemist's right arm, pulling him away from the blonde.

"Hey! We were in the middle of something here-" Lana started but stopped what she was about to say when she noticed who was pulling the teen. "Oh. It's you." She disdainfully said.

"Yeah, me. Now, if you don't mind, we will be going now. Toodles~!" Soul happily waved goodbye, giving the fuming, sorry excuse of a sunflower a fake closed-eyed smile while walking away, taking Varian with her.

"And where are you taking him?" The blonde asked, crossing her arms as she narrowed her eyes at the smaller girl.

"Were you not listening to me? I said-"

"And I don't care." Soul's eye twitched in annoyance as Lana interrupted what she was saying. "Come on, Varian. I'm sure you would like to spend more time with me. After all, haven't you seen enough of her?" Lana questioned, hooking her arm around his left arm, smiling up at the teen.

"Uhm.." Varian unhooked his left arm from the blonde as he rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously. "Sorry, I kinda promised Soul I'll teach her. Maybe some other time?"

Lana threw a small glare at the snickering lavender-haired girl before she forced a smile. "Sure, no problem."

"Thanks." He then turned to the astrologer. "Shall we go?"

"We shall!" Soul replied. As they were walking away, Soul turned to look over her shoulder. She placed a finger under her lower eyelid, pulling it down as she poked her tongue out, making the blonde much more angrier. "You're suddenly popular with the ladies." Soul teased.

"Don't even start, Black Hole. And it's not like that." Varian said, blushing a bit as he playfully punched the laughing girl beside him. Glancing down, he noticed that Soul was still holding his right wrist, which was slowly going down his hand. Varian's face turned red even more as he tried to grab the girl's hand when..

"Hey, look! It's Lalo." Soul pointed at the blond male by the water fountain in the middle of the village square. "Lalo!!" She called, removing her hand from the boy's wrist, running towards the male. Varian looked at his now empty wrist, then at the girl before pouting and blowing off a few strands of his hair away from his face, following her. "Lalo, there you are! I've been looking for you earlier."

"Good afternoon, Soul, Varian. I was at a meeting earlier. How may I help you?" Lalo questioned, placing his hands behind his back as he turned to look down at the two teenagers.

"I circled the village earlier-"

"You did? Wow, you don't waste time." Lalo commented in disbelief.

"Um, yeah. Anyways, where is Aquarius' temple? My map said that it's somewhere within the village, but I haven't seen it yet." Soul asked, raising a curious brow. 

Lalo looked around as Soul and Varian gave each other questioning gazes before they heard the man sigh. "If you really want to see the temple, then meet here at midnight." He instructed before excusing himself.

"Sooooo." Varian started, looking at the side while smiling sheepishly. "Want me to teach you some alchemy?"

Soul looked at the alchemist as if he had two heads."Pfft- HAHAHAHAHA!"

"WHAT? Why are you laughing??" The alchemist embarrassingly yelled as the girl continued to laugh.

"Varian, if you wanted to hang out with me, then just say so. No need for you to use that sorry excuse of a lie." The girl answered, wiping a stray tear from all the laughing. "Besides, don't you want to continue your 'date' with Lana?"

"Oh, Demanitus, NO! She's a nice girl, but she's not my type." Varian replied, shivering in disgust.

"Then what is your type?" Soul curiously asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Varian gazed into the girl's powder blue eyes, who stared back in his ocean orbs. It was like time stopped around them, and the only thing he saw was the girl in front of him. He took in all her features, from how her lavender hair swayed in the autumn breeze, and how it looked almost white in the sunlight to how pink her lips were, which made the alchemist blush even more.

"Um..Varian, are you alright?" Soul queried, tilting her head to the side. She was genuinely confused because one minute, Varian was acting normal, then the next he was like a walking tomato.

Varian coughed, blushing even more. "I-I'm fine. As fine as a feline." He replied, chuckling nervously. Soul raised a brow before shaking her head. "Anyways, about that hangout?"

"Sure, what do you want-"

"Hey, Varian, Soul. Nice day we're having, right?" Eugene greeted on top of Max, while Rapunzel was riding Oren with Pascal on the horse's head.

"Yeah, it was a nice day till you ruined it." Varian replied, a bit salty that Eugene interrupted his 'date'.

"Why, what did I do?"

"Nothing, just, never mind."

Eugene let out a hesitant hum before turning towards the astrologer and leaning down from Max to whisper in her ear. "What happened to him?" To which Soul merely shrugged her shoulders in response.

"So, how are you two enjoying Aurora Village? Because I am loving it! Their food is simply divine." Eugene stated, blowing a chef's kiss.

"It's nice." Varian and Soul replied at the same time.

"Jinx." Varian groaned as the girl giggled before saying his name, breaking the 'curse'.

"Aurora Village is nice and all, but I don't think I could last one more day." Soul said in a lazy tone, stretching a bit.

"Oh? Why not?" Rapunzel asked. The astrologer gave her a look, and in an instant, the brunette knew what the younger girl meant. "Oh! Got it."

"What? Why? Can we know as well?" Varian queried, raising a brow at the girl next to him.

"Yeah. No." The alchemist groaned louder as he crossed his arms and stomped his foot, making the three laugh at his slight childishness. "Anyways, I just remembered I haven't let Flick and Hoots out for five days, and they must be going insane. They're not used to being cooped up in a room. See you guys later." Soul added, waving goodbye as she was about to walk away.

"Wait, what about our hang out?" Varian sadly asked.

"Oh, yeah! I slightly forgot about that." Soul shouted, her eyes widening in realization. Placing a hand under her chin in thought, she glanced at the alchemist who was giving her the puppy eyes. Not wanting to see him sad, an idea popped in her head. "What about you take Ruddiger out on a walk with us? I'm sure Flick would love to have his best friend tag along." She suggested.

Varian's face lit up, and was about to give his answer when a certain blonde popped up out of nowhere and latching herself on the teen's left arm. "Varian!" Not now... He thought.

"H-hello, Lana." He greeted, cringing slightly at how close she was. At first he was completely fine with her clinginess. But the girl's constant flirting, even if he stated he wasn't interested just annoyed him to oblivion. Varian wanted to push her away. But since Lana's father was the protector of Aquarius' orb, he was scared that if Lana told her father that he hurt her, Lalo would refuse to let them take the orb.

"I missed you so much!" Lana cooed, rubbing her cheeks against Varian's cheeks. "Oh, good afternoon, your highness, Eugene." She then turned to look at Soul, her smile becoming a forced one. "Good afternoon, Soil- I mean, Soul."

"Yes, good afternoon." Soul replied in a flat tone as she glared at the girl. Eugene and Rapunzel swore they could see lightning streaks come from the girls' eyes as they glared at each other, and they honestly don't know what to do. "So, since you are suddenly busy and unable to walk with us, I'll be going now."

Varian raised his right hand, reaching out to call for the girl only to put it down as Soul was already far enough and he couldn't exactly chase after her as Lana was holding him down.

"They are so getting painful to watch. Who knew how oblivious and dense smart people can be?" Eugene commented quietly. Rapunzel, Max, and Pascal nodded their heads in agreement. "Should we interfere? Like, set them up?"

"Don't. Varian might have accepted to give in to his feelings for Soul, but know that he's still doubting about it." Rapunzel replied, shaking her head. "Soul's on the same page as well. She knows she has a crush on him, but she's still keeping it down and trying to avoid it. Let's just let time do its thing."

"You're right."

\------------------*TImeskip to night time!!*-----------------------------------------------------

Varian exited his room, exhaling as he adjusted his coat. He flinched a bit as the cold night air touched his cheek, making him hide away in his hood.

"Are you ready?" A voice behind him spoke, causing him to jump back. "Doesn't feel good, does it?"

"You're right. I'm sorry. Wow! The last time I saw you wearing your cloak and hat was...six months ago?" Varian commented, gesturing to the half-cloak Soul was wearing along with her hat.

"Yeah, it feels great to wear it again." She replied, swaying a bit as she pulled her hat down. The alchemist coughed a bit as he covered his face before gesturing towards the girl to walk beside him, which Soul happily did.

"Should we wake the others as well?" Varian asked, glancing down at the girl. 

Soul merely shook her head, looking straight ahead. "That's probably not a good idea. Lalo wanted US to meet him. He didn't mention the others, meaning he might want us to be discreet about this meeting. Which is a great security measure."

"I guess you're right." The alchemist agreed. The two walked in comfortable silence, unaware that the both of them were feeling the same butterflies in their stomachs. Though one fully accepted the butterflies, while the other was still hesitant.

A few minutes later, they finally reached the fountain where Lalo was waiting for them. "I'm glad you two didn't decide to tell your friends. It would have been quite problematic if more people entered the temple." He stated, sighing in relief. "With Zhan Tiri's henchmen and Shadow beasts, we have to make sure that only a few people can enter for safety measures. Now, are you two ready to see The water bearer's temple?" 

The two excitedly nodded their heads, but their excited looks shifted into a confused one when Lalo reached for something in the fountain. Hearing a small click, the huge wall a few feet away from the left of the fountain opened an archway, revealing an entrance.

"You know, I wondered what that wall was for earlier." Soul muttered to the alchemist. Her eyes not leaving the sight of the entrance.

"Come, you two." Lalo beckoned, walking through the entrance. Varian and Soul shared a look before following the man. "Welcome to Aquarius' Temple!" The man proudly shouted.

It was like they entered a whole new area. There was a fairly large lake with willow trees surrounding its edges. The lake was crystal clear and shimmered in the moonlight, reflecting the moon and the silhouette of the temple in the middle. 

"Why is Aquarius' temple hidden from the people?" Varian questioned, looking up at Lalo with curious eyes.

"Humans are selfish and greedy in nature. When they see shiny and expensive things, it's either they leave it be or steal them." The man stated as they entered the temple. "Aquarius is one of the only temples whose furniture and structure got retained over the years. The water bearer adores shiny things and she loved collecting them, making her temple a hotspot for thieves. So as protection, the old guardians built this wall to keep Aquarius' temple safe." He explained while they roamed the halls of the temple. 

The temple's interior was beautifully built, rivaling Virgo's crystal abode. The walls were painted white with gold and dark blue trimmings. Golden mermaid statues can be found everywhere, along with fountains. They soon arrived at the throne room where an empty pedestal stood, moonlight spotlighting the top. There was also an inside waterfall behind the pedestal screening Aquarius' symbol.

"I'm only allowing the two of you to get the orb on the day of the peak. I'll be escorting you two to make sure that you don't sneak anything out." Lalo instructed.

"What, you don't trust us?" Soul asked, causing the older man to let out a small chuckle.

"It's not that. Can't I just escort you two? Or is it that you two that don't trust me?" Varian averted his gaze, 'casually' whistling while Soul just stared blankly at the man.

"How can we trust you when we just met you? Plus, you're keeping secrets from me, and you're asking why we don't trust you?" She straightforwardly said, making the alchemist choke on air as he looked at the girl with wide eyes. Lalo let out a hearty laugh as he certainly didn't expect the girl to be blunt so blunt with him.

"Touche'. But even if I tell you, you won't be able to understand it. And I'd rather not anyone else hear it before you." The man responded. "Come on. It's getting too late. We'll return an the time of the peak." 

"Thanks for showing us the temple, Chief." Varian stated, smiling at the man, who was closing the entrance towards the temple.

"No problem! Now, off to bed, you two. Goodnight." Lalo replied, waving goodnight as he walked off towards his home. 

A cold wind blew past them, and thankfully they were wearing something warm. Well, the alchemist was wearing something warm, that is. Varian glanced at the girl, seeing her slightly shivering from the cold. Soul hugged herself inside her cloak, trying to keep herself warm when a huge coat was thrown over her shoulders.

"Here. You must be cold." Varian said, blushing a bit.

Soul bit her tongue to keep herself from giving a snarky reply, looking up at the alchemist. "T-thanks. But won't you be cold?"

"I'll be fine. It's a long walk towards the inn. Plus, I'm thick-skinned, and you look like you're not." He replied. His eyes widened when he felt something being thrown over his shoulders, and suddenly he couldn't see. "What?" Varian muttered, taking off the thing that was covering his eyes to see it was Soul's hat.

"It might not be much. but at least it would keep you from catching a cold." Soul shyly stated as she fidgeted under the long sleeves of Varian's coat. Now that he got a good look.... Gosh, she's so cute in my coat.. The alchemist thought, blushing as he looked at the girl. His coat was like a dress for her. Soul struggled a bit as the coat's neckline was hanging on her shoulder, and the sleeves were too long for her short arms.

"I could use your coat as a weapon! I'd just slap them like this. Hya! Hya! HYAAA!" Soul exclaimed, swishing the sleeves like a whip. Varian laughed at the girl's antics as he tied the half-cloak around his neck and putting the hat on. 

"How do I look?" Varian asked, presenting himself. Soul only stared at him with red cheeks, to which the boy thought that it was probably because of the cold air.

"You're not allowed to wear purple anymore." The girl replied.

"Why?"

"Do you want more Lanas flocking you?"

.

.

.

.

"Is this your way of saying I look good in purple?"

.

.

.

.

"I am leaving you here."

"WAIT! I was just kidding! Soul, wait for me!"

While walking back to the inn, Varian was out of breath from laughing too much. And Soul was as red as a tomato.


	40. Chapter 39: The Water Bearer's Orb

"I'm still a bit angry that you two get to see the temple." Eugene huffed, crossing his arms.

"We're sorry, but we have been told to be discreet about it." Soul smiled apologetically, patting the ex-thief's back.

"He didn't tell us until he saw we were the only ones there." The alchemist stated before he drank his hot beverage. Soul threw him a dirty look as Eugene huffed even more. "I mean- Yeah. He told us to be quiet about it."

"Too late."

"Did he tell you guys anything else?" Eugene queried. The two teenagers nodded. "Then please do tell. Or is it still a secret?"

"Oh, Eugene, leave them alone!" Rapunzel scolded, pulling on the man's ear. Eugene yelped in pain as he cupped his ear that was beginning to turn red. "They didn't tell us for a good reason, so stop picking on them."

The man was about to say something but everyone, except for Soul, interrupted him. "No, you can't keep secrets that well."

"Aside from Rapunzel's ultimate secrets. Otherwise, you can't keep your mouth shut at all." Kiera added. Eugene's face fell, but instantly lighting up when Soul gave him her bacon in hopes to cheer him up.

"So, I guess it will only be you and Varian taking the orb?" Lance guessed as he cut his sausage in half and eating it.

"Yep." The girl answered, wiping her mouth with a tissue.

"Will you two be okay on your own?" Rapunzel asked. Concern laced her tone.

"Lalo's going to be with us, so it'll be fine." Varian answered this time.

"And besides, we're not going alone." Soul added. Everyone looked at the girl funny, but Soul only smirked as she took a bite of her egg.

\-----------*Timeskip to October 31*--------------------

"I am so excited to leave this place." Soul whispered to herself while walking behind the alchemist. Varian turned around to look at her, asking what she said, to which Soul only shook her head, saying it was nothing. They reached the village square to see Lalo waiting patiently for them in front of the fountain.

"Are you two ready?" He asked.

Varian chuckled. A devious smirk plastering on his face. "Ready as I'll ever be." Soul looked away from the boy, trying to hide her red face as she mumbled her own answer.

"Very well. Let's proceed. Come, we must hurry." Lalo instructed as he opened the entrance to the temple before quickly closing it after they had entered. "Don't worry, I can open it again when we're done to avoid unwanted guests." He added. The two teenagers nodded their heads, following the man towards the throne room.

"We have at least 30 minutes before the peak. What do you wanna do?" Varian asked the lavender-haired girl, who was fiddling with the sleeves of her jacket. It turns out Soul doesn't have any winter gear so, the alchemist had to lend her his coat again. It wasn't really a problem for Varian. He could endure a little chill.

Soul placed a hand underneath her chin in thought before turning towards Varian. "I don't know. How about you?" She asked back. Varian smiled in agreement as he flopped down on the ground, patting the spot next to him.

"How about a game? We never finished our match last time in Never have I ever." Varian questioned, receiving a shrug from the girl beside him. As Varian was listing some games, an idea popped into the girl's mind. This is my chance to get to know him more.

"How about you know, we talk instead? I mean, if we played a game, we might get caught up and forget about the peak." Soul suggested, blushing a bit. The alchemist looked at her before shrugging his shoulders.

"Sure, why not. Talking is much more serene and peaceful." He replied, leaning back on his arms. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"When did you-"

"Sorry to interrupt you two but, I would like to ask Varian something." Lalo spoke, causing the two to look at the man. Soul's eye twitched in slight annoyance as Varian looked up at the man with a curious gaze.

"What is it, sir?" He asked as the older man squatted in front of them. 

"What do you think of my daughter, Lana?" Lalo queried, his voice serious as he stared intently at the black-haired teen, who was starting to get uncomfortable. At the man's question, Soul's ears perked up, wanting to hear what Varian would say about the llama- I mean, about Lana.

"Uhm.." Varian nervously tugged on his collar as sweat dripped on his temple from the man's gaze. "I think she's a wonderful girl. She's really sweet and kind, and her future husband would be lucky to have her." He answered, smiling sheepishly.

Soul's eyes widened at the alchemist's response, remembering that HE's the one Lana wants as a future husband. She huffed, crossing her arms, turning away, and leaving his side to explore the room. Varian saw at the corner of his eye that the girl left but said nothing as Lalo was still staring at him.

"Is that all?" Lalo prodded. Varian screamed in panic in his head, thinking of other nice things to say about the blonde girl. 

"Y-yes, sir." After a few more minutes of staring, Lalo burst out laughing, confusing the alchemist.

"Don't be shy, boy. I know you like her!" The man exclaimed, patting Varian's back with the same enthusiasm. "You know I'd love it if you were to be my son-in-law."

"I-I'm too young for marriage, sir. And uh, I um, don't like Lana like that. Sure, she's pretty and loveable and all, but I like someone else." Varian answered, glancing at the lavender-haired girl. Lalo caught onto this so, he gripped the alchemist's shoulders, glaring at him. 

"I see. Well, if you EVER hurt this girl you like, see to it that you have made a permanent enemy in Aurora Village." Lalo declared, fixing his coat's collar before leaving the alchemist sitting on the floor. Varian blinked, slightly shaken up at the man's threat, but after a few minutes, he sighed in relief that the awkward interrogation was done.

Meanwhile, Soul was silently practicing her levitation spell on a rock she found inside a fountain. She was slowly making progress as she could now make the rock fly without much difficulty. 

"What are you doing?" 

.

.

.

WACK!

"OW!" Varian yelped in pain as the rock Soul was practicing on was pelted towards him.

"OHMYGOSH! I'm soooooo NOT sorry! How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me like that?" Soul yelled, scolding the alchemist, who was rubbing his forehead. She sighed, calming down a little before pulling him down to her height. "Here, let me see your forehead."

Varian removed his hand from his forehead, revealing a small cut from the rock. Soul hummed before casting her healing spell, placing her hand on his forehead. While the girl was healing his wound, Varian looked down on his gloved hand to see a bit of blood in it. In shock, he swatted his hand away, hitting the girl's cheek in the process.

"OW! What was that for?" Soul yelped, cupping her cheek.

"Sorry! It's just I didn't know that the wound on my forehead was deep enough to bleed.." He reasoned, his voice faltering a bit as he looked away, rubbing his arm.

"Are you....afraid of blood?" The girl asked as she raised a curious brow. When Varian didn't respond, Soul took this as a yes as she took the boy's hand where the blood was and wiping it off. Remind me to make lots of fake blood next Halloween. "There. Now, how does your forehead feel?"

The alchemist touched his forehead before smiling. "It feels better now. Thanks." 

.

.

.

"Though, it would feel much better if you kissed it gone." He flirted as he placed a hand under his chin while winking at the girl.

.

.

.

.

Just kidding, he wouldn't dare do that. He's too, how to say this nicely? He's too much of a gentleman to do that. 

"That's good. Now, please. Stop sneaking up behind me." 

"Noted!" Varian saluted, making Soul roll her eyes, shaking her head. "At least now we know that you can use Autem now."

"It's still progress. Though it didn't take that much energy anymore." Soul replied as they circled the throne room.... About three times.

"What are you kids doing?" Lalo questioned as he watched the two walk around the throne room.

"We're bored." They answered flatly. Lalo made a face before shaking his head, laughing a bit. As the two circled the room for the fourth time, he eyed the lavender-haired girl, silently happy that she was enjoying herself. 

"If you ever meet my little girl. You don't have to like her, just please try your best to be kind to her."

Lalo ran his fingers through his hair as he thought of Wisteria and how his life would have been if she didn't cancel their arrange marriage. Maybe he could have prevented what happened, and maybe Soul could have lived a normal life.

"Hey, look! It's time." Soul exclaimed, pointing at the sky as the middle of Aquarius's constellation shined over the pedestal. In a blink of an eye, the orb appeared, shimmering in the moonlight. "May I?" She asked, looking at the man. Lalo nodded his head, and Soul took this as the signal to walk over to the pedestal.

Lalo and Varian watched as Soul grabbed the orb. Upon physical touch, Aquarius' symbol flashed before fading into blue sparkles. Unbeknownst to the two men, a shadow loomed over the blond man.

"And that's seven! Five more to go and Zhan Tiri's dust." Varian cheered as he stood beside the girl, who was placing the orb in her satchel. "Come on. I saw the Memoria Vitris here earlier. I bet you would like to see it, right?"

"Of course! Hey, Lalo, before we leave, can I-" 

WHACK! 

"SOUL!" Varian screamed as Soul got knocked down on the ground, passed out. The alchemist instantly went by her side to check on her, sighing in relief that she wasn't hurt too much. But a bruise was sure to form on her stomach from the blow she received. Though, Varian wondered how Soul fainted. She didn't hit her head when she fell. So why? The alchemist shook his head, turning towards the blond man. "Why would you punch her, Lalo?" He angrily questioned. 

Lalo didn't respond as he cracked his fist, slowly walking towards the two. "Give me the orb." He ordered. Varian scrunched his nose in confusion until he saw the man's eyes. The whites of his sclera were black, same as his eyes as black smoke seeped out his eyes.

"Oh, no. Zhan Tiri's this strong already?" Varian screamed in panic as he hurriedly carried Soul in his arms before throwing a smoke bomb towards the man, temporarily distracting him. While running, the coat Soul was wearing slid off her shoulders slightly, and Varian noticed that her pendant was gone. Looking back, he saw the girl's star pendant on the ground below the pedestal. I'm sure Soul wouldn't mind it if I leave her pendant behind so I can save her, right? 

Varian skidded to a stop when he saw the wall closed shut. "Rapunzel! Eugene!" He called to the other side of the wall.

"We're here! What's taking you three so long? Did something happen?" Rapunzel worriedly asked.

"Zhan Tiri had her henchman possess Lalo, and Soul's passed out." Varian replied as he keeps looking back toward the temple to see if Lalo has caught up to them. "I'll explain later! Just open the wall. After a few minutes, the entrance of the wall opened, and Varian gave Soul to Rapunzel.

"She's cold as ice. Are you sure she's just passed out?" Eugene asked as he touched the astrologer's forehead. 

"I'm sure. Now, come with me, Eugene. I need to get back in there." Varian stated. He grabbed some chemicals from his belt pocket, making a quick compound.

"Wait, you're going back in there? Are you crazy?" Eugene barked as he looked at his young friend as if he had a snake in his hair. 

"Soul's pendant is in there. I don't know if it has any significant meaning to her, but I know it would break her heart if we just left it there." Varian answered, loading his alchemy gun with the chemical he made. "And besides, we can't just leave Lalo there."

Eugene looked hesitant for a bit before begrudgingly complying. "Alright. I'm sure you've got a plan, right?"

"Yep!."

\----------------------------------------------------

"THIS IS NOT A PLAN. THIS IS SUICIDE!" Eugene yelled as he tackled Lalo to the ground. But Lalo being larger and stronger than the ex-thief, easily pushed Eugene off of him, aiming to punch his stomach. Eugene sidestepped, kicking Lalo on the shin, toppling the man down. However, Lalo, possessed by a devil, proved to be hard to defeat as he stood up, not even a scratch on him. 

"Oh, dang." Eugene mumbled, his face falling as Lalo walked towards him.

While Eugene was fighting off the chief, Varian sneaked in, trying to get closer towards the pendant, which was near where the two men were fighting. Varian flailed his arms around, trying to catch his friend's attention. Noticing some rapid motion on the corner of his eyes, Eugene looked towards behind Lalo's back, seeing Varian waving at him.

"Direct him away from the pendant!" Varian mouthed. Eugene nodded as he moved away from the pedestal.

"Hey, Lalo! Come and get me!" Eugene provoked. Lalo took the bait as he followed where the ex-thief went.

After making sure that they were gone, Varian grabbed Soul's pendant, pocketing it before grabbing his alchemy gun and following where Eugene and Lalo went. Exiting the temple, Varian saw the two fighting on the bridge that's connecting the temple to the land. Eugene's sword was drawn out, but even with a sword, Lalo still had the upper hand. Varian squinted his eyes, aiming his alchemy gun towards the man's head. Focusing on his target, he pulled the trigger as the green pellet hit Lalo, knocking him cold.

"And that's how it's done." Varian smugly said, blowing on the tip of the gun.

"What was in that pellet?" Eugene asked as he looked down at the passed out man.

"This is a chemical I invented. It's an enhanced version of my sleep powder. You know how some powders when coming in contact with the skin they irritate and cause you to have a rash, and something like that? Well, it inspired me to make this!" The alchemist proudly stated, smiling gleefully.

"Yeah, I don't get it." Eugene replied, making Varian's shoulders fall in disappointment.

"Never mind. Anyways, can you carry Lalo out here?"

"Why me?"

"I would if I could."

\-----------------------------------

"Thank goodness that you two are here! Soul still hasn't woken up yet." Rapunzel informed as Varian and Eugene exited the wall. "Just how hard did Lalo punch her?"

"I-I don't know. To be honest, from what I read before, you can't pass out from being punched on the stomach." Varian replied, kneeling in front of the fountain where Rapunzel and Soul were. He took the pendant from his pocket and placed it on the girl's chest when the gem on the pendant glowed. Varian's eyes widened as he looked up at Rapunzel to see her busy talking with Eugene, who was sitting on her side, to notice the glowing pendant.

"What happened?" Soul croaked, sitting up and almost falling into the fountain. Luckily, the alchemist caught her in time.

"Soul! You're awake. Geez, I know you're not physically strong, but passing out from being gutted -" Eugene stopped talking as Soul glared at him. "Nothing, I'm glad you're okay!"

"What happened? The last thing I remembered was Lalo punching me, and everything is black."

"That's pretty much the only thing that happened." Varian deadpanned. "Oh, and your plan of calling for back up if we need to kinda failed since Rapunzel had to stay with you. "

"Where's Lance?" Soul asked, looking around, not seeing the burly man anywhere.

"He fell asleep. Catalina and Kiera used him as a pillow. So we just decided to leave him." Rapunzel answered. "How are you feeling?" 

"I feel great actually." The girl smiled, standing up and puffing her chest. Until Varian poked her just below the rib, causing Soul to wince in pain. 

"Yeah, I think you're not fine." Varian countered. He wondered if he should tell the girl about what happened with the pendant, but decided to tell her later.

Soul stood up straightly, brushing some dust on her coat. "Is the wall still open? I want to see the Memoria Vitris." 

"Are you sure you can walk?" Eugene asked.

"I got punched on the stomach. I can still use my legs."

"We're going with you this time." Rapunzel declared, standing up from the fountain.

"Thanks, but who's going to look after Lalo? We need someone to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't cause a rampage if the shadow henchman is still in him." Soul queried, pointing at the man on the ground.

"We'll take care of him. You and Rapunzel go." Varian offered, sitting on the fountain where the brunette was sitting earlier.

Nodding, Soul replied. "Alright. We'll be back shortly." before she and Rapunzel entered the wall.


	41. Chapter 40: Sing me to Sleep

Rapunzel observed the place in awe, admiring the beauty of the temple sitting above the glistening lake. She was sure that if she saw this in the morning, there would be butterflies of different colors fluttering around. The sun would shine over the temple, and its rays would hit the flowers on the small shrubs by the bridge, spotlighting their beauty and radiance. 

"This place is beautiful!" Rapunzel exclaimed as she gently touched one of the dangling leaves of the willow tree.

"It is. You should have seen it in the morning. It's breathtaking!" Soul smiled, walking over to the bridge, the princess following soon after. Just when Raps thought that the place where the temple was built was beautiful, she was completely awestruck at the interior of the temple.

"Aquarius' temple has to be the most beautiful temple that we have been to so far." She commented. Soul proceeded to walk towards the throne room, letting the princess roam around. I mean, not like Rapunzel's gonna go far. Time will stop anyway. 

"Now, where is it?" The astrologer mumbled, looking for the Memoria Vitris. She circled the entire room and not a single crystallized flower to be seen. "I should have asked Varian first before we left." Soul sighed until she caught something sparkling behind the waterfall. Inspecting it, she saw it was the Memoria Vitris, which was a crystallized orchid. Soul reached out for the flower but found that her arms were a bit too short to touch it. The girl went around to the other side of the waterfall and tried reaching from there, but she still couldn't touch it. If Soul tried to reach for it any further, she would get wet.

.

.

.

Soul took of Varian's coat along with her dress, revealing her white tank top and black shorts, keeping her pendant around her neck before diving in the waterfall. She shivered as the cold water hit her skin. Shaking the cold off, she touched the Memoria Vitris and as expected, the world around her faded into blue, stopping time as a scene from the past played in front of her.

"Igneous, you go get the orb. I'd like to stay here outside." 

"Are you sure, dear? Would you be alright?" Igneous asked, unsure as his wife just nodded her head.

"I'll be fine. It's just." Wisteria glanced at the lake. "This place is enchanting. I want to bask myself in its magical ambiance." 

Igneous sighed, smiling at his wife, admiring her beauty under the moonlight. "Alright. I'll be back soon." He placed a small kiss on the woman's cheek before entering the temple. Wisteria smiled at her husband's back before turning to look at the lake. A cold wind breezed through her hair, making it sway gracefully in the wind when someone removed a strand of her hair, tucking it behind her ear. Wisteria gasped in surprise to see someone she honestly didn't want to see anymore.

"Good evening, Lalo." She greeted quite disdainfully. 

"Good evening to you too, Wisteria." The blond man greeted as he stood next to the purple-haired woman. "It's a wonderful night, isn't it?" He asked, making small talk.

"I supposed so." Wisteria replied. An awkward silence filled the atmosphere as Lalo thought for more topics to talk about.

"So...you have a daughter now?" He asked.

"And a son, actually. Vsxo is our second child." Wisteria answered, her eyes fixed on the glistening lake.

"Ahh. I see you and Igneous didn't waste any time." Lalo awkwardly chuckled. When the woman didn't answer, a nervous sweat dripped down his forehead. "Um, I mean. Good for you two."

"Look, I know you hate Igneous." Wisteria started. "And I know that you probably hate my children too. But don't. It was my decision to end our arranged marriage. I loved Igneous even before our arranged marriage."

"But why would you choose a peasant boy?" Lalo queried, his tone getting angrier by the minute. "Before I became a village chief, I was a nobleman. Much better than a blacksmith."

"He has something you don't have."

"What?"

"He has ambitions!" Wisteria glared at Lalo, panting a bit as she tried to control her anger and tried to keep her voice down to not alert her husband. "Judging from your actions, you do hate my family."

"I don't hate your family-"

"Yes, you don't hate them, but you can't accept them." Lalo gritted his teeth as he stared down at the woman. "I hope that if you were to meet Gold and Vsxo in the future, you'd treat them nicely. You don't have to like them, just be kind enough to them and make sure they don't get hurt. Although I doubt that you'll meet them."

"I've got the orb! You should have entered the temple with me, honey. Aquarius' temple is simply divine! The architecture of the place is spellbinding." Igneous exclaimed as he exited the temple. The man saw Lalo with his wife, sensing the awkward and tense atmosphere. "What happened? Lalo, what did you do to my wife?" He growled, standing in front of Wisteria.

"Nothing, dear. We were just talking." Wisteria reassured as she placed a hand on her husband's shoulder, leading him away from the other blond man, muttering a small goodbye. "Anyways, you got the orb?"

"Yep! You know, Gold would flip if he saw these Willow trees. He hasn't seen one before, right?" Igneous asked, touching one of the dangling leaves of the Willow tree. "I still don't why he wants to become a botanist."

"I think my love for plants was too contagious." The woman giggled.

"Goodness, I hope Vsxo doesn't like plants as well. I want at least one of my children to learn the art of blacksmithing."

"She's a girl, Igneous. If you teach her that, her body would grow into that of a man's build."

"Perfect! Boys would stay away from her."

Soul watched everything from the entrance of the temple. She was wondering if the Gold they were talking about was her brother. From what she heard, their son also wanted to be a botanist like her brother. But that's impossible, right? How could Igneous and Wisteria know Gold? Suddenly, Soul was transported back to the waterfall, and time got resumed. Deciding that the water was too cold, she exited the waterfall, picking up her clothes, and walking to find the princess.

"Soul! You're soaked! You'll catch a cold in this condition." Rapunzel worriedly said. "At least where the coat to keep you warm." She instructed, taking the coat from her arms and draping it around her. "What did you do?"

"It was the only way to see the Memoria Vitris."

"What? Why? Where was it?"

"Behind a waterfall.....I couldn't reach it."

\---------------------------------------------------

"I'm not even going to ask what the heck you guys are doing." Soul flatly stated as she watched the scene in front of her. Lalo was back to his normal-self as he and Eugene were sitting by the fountain while Varian was dancing in front of them. Or at least he looked like he was dancing. From Soul's point of view, he looked like a headless chicken.

"Shh! We're playing charades!" Eugene shushed. He was too focused on what Varian was acting as to notice the two girls returning. Well, I don't have to ask them anymore. Soul thought.

"Soul! I am terribly sorry." Lalo apologized, standing up and bowing his head at the girl.

"Soul?" Varian asked. He turned around to see the lavender-haired girl behind him, and he automatically stopped acting, straightening himself.

"You've got it bad." Eugene whispered, wiggling his eyebrows.

"It's alright. You didn't mean it." Soul replied, waving a hand. "By the way, what happened to the shadow henchman?" 

"Varian defeated it! He was so cool. You should have seen him. He was all 'Get out of this man's body, you devil!' and the shadow henchman burned on the spot, releasing Lalo." Eugene bragged, acting in some parts. Soul turned to look at Varian as the teen turned red.

"So you exorcised him?" 

"Not...I mean, if you put it like that, yes." Eugene answered while Varian turned even redder. At this point, he can't really save himself from his friend's embarrassing lie. What really happened is that Varian kept throwing alchemy balls at Lalo, not knowing that Lalo was already himself. They confirmed this when Lalo told Varian something that only the two of them knew.

"Anyways, it's getting too late. Let's continue our conversation tomorrow in the morning." Lalo suggested. "goodnight, everyone." He greeted before going in the direction of his house.

"Let's head back. I'm really sleepy." Eugene yawned. Rapunzel giggled, placing a kiss on the man's cheek.

Walking next to the girl, Varian noticed Soul's wet hair. "Why is your hair wet?"

"My hair's not the only thing that's wet." 

.

.

.

.

"What?"

"The Memoria Vitris was too far back from the waterfall. I had to take drastic measures."

"Oh. That's what you meant...."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Nothing."

\-------*Timeskip to tomorrow*--------------------------

"It was a pleasure to have you guys stay in the village." Lalo stated, shaking Rapunzel's hand.

"No, thank you for you and your hospitality. You could have just let us stay in our caravan, but you welcomed us in your village." The brunette replied, smiling.

"Don't mention it. What kind of village chief would I be if I made you stay outside." Lalo turned to look at the girl behind the princess. "And Soul."

At the mention of her name, Soul looked at the man standing in front of her. "Yes?"

"I know you may have questions now, but know that they will be answered at the right time. For now, don't ask. You'll gain nothing from it. Seriously, nothing. You really won't understand it." The man advised. Soul looked hesitant for a moment before nodding her head in agreement.

"I'm gonna miss you so much, Vari!!!" Lana wailed, crying on the boy's shoulders. Soul crossed her arms, a bit happy as this was the last time she would see the blonde. Until...

"Muah!" Lana kissed Varian on the cheek, startling the teen.

"Goodbye!!!" Everyone waved goodbye at the two except Soul as they drove away from the village.

"I'm so happy that's the last time I'll see Lana. She's a nice girl, but she's too clingy." Varian breathed out, sitting next to Lance on the couch.

"Before you talk about Lana, what's up with Soul?" Lance whispered to Varian, subtly pointing at the girl, who's furiously knitting on the couch across them. Varian shrugged his shoulders in reply turning towards the girl.

"Hey, Soul. Are you alright?" He asked. Soul stopped for a second before continuing to knit, ignoring the alchemist. 

"Now, there's really something wrong." Lance stated as Varian frowned, thinking about what he did wrong. Ruddiger and Flick glanced at the teen with a sad look while Sir Hoots-a-lot was patting the boy's shoulder using his wing.

Varian tried to talk to the girl again later at lunchtime but, Soul still ignored him. Every time Varian would speak, she would slurp her noodles or sip her water loudly, drowning the alchemist's voice. The others watched, slightly concerned but chose not to say anything as they continued to eat, knowing that Soul probably just woke up from the wrong side of the bed. 

"Soul, what's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?" He asked in a sad tone. Soul continued to ignore him as she fed Flick, who looked up at the alchemist with solemn eyes. Varian sighed, mumbling a small 'talk to you later' before leaving and entering the caravan.

"Why ARE you ignoring him, Soul?" Catalina queried. 

"Yeah, I thought you two already made up from your last argument?" Kiera added.

"Argument? What argument?" Soul asked back, raising a brow. "When did we argue?"

"Didn't the two of you fought? That's why you ignored him for a couple of days?" Ohh...

"Um, yeah, yeah, that's what happened." Soul sheepishly lied, scratching her cheek before continuing to eat. 

"What did she tell you when you talked to her, Sunshine?" Eugene whispered to the brunette.

"Sorry, can't tell. But I'm sure it's quite obvious." Rapunzel answered as she and Pascal smirked at each other.

A few hours later in the afternoon, and the group is back on traveling, Varian decided to try and talk to Soul again. "Soul, come on! Please tell me what I did wrong. Why are you ignoring me again?" He pleaded, slightly getting annoyed. The girl pretended not to hear him as she continued to knit. "Are you not even going to acknowledge my presence, let alone look at me?" He asked again. When he didn't receive a reply, Varian huffed angrily, finally having enough. "Fine! If you don't want to talk to me, then fine. Don't. Just know that ignoring someone who upset you or did something to upset you won't solve anything." He said, glaring at the girl over his shoulder before asking Eugene to stop the caravan so he could sit next to him outside.

Soul's eyes widened as she stared at the back of the boy's head from the window. Her eyes drooped a bit, sighing. The seat beside her dipped, indicating someone sat next to her. Glancing at the side, she saw it was Catalina while Kiera settled herself in front of the girl.

"I..messed up, didn't I?" Soul muttered. 

"You should apologize, Soul. He's hurt, you know." Kiera advised, patting the older girl's cheek.

"And he's right. If you didn't like what someone did, it's best if you tell them about it. Otherwise, it's only going to get worst." Catalina added, smiling. "I'm talking from experience here."

"I'm sorry. It's just-"

"Don't apologize to us. Apologize to him." Kiera said, interrupting Soul as she pointed at the alchemist outside.

Soul nodded her head, and to her surprise, the two girls hugged her, immediately lightening up her mood. "Thanks so much, you two."

"Why are you ignoring him anyway?" Kiera asked, raising a curious brow. The astrologer's cheeks heated up, thinking if she should say. 

"Come on! You can tell us. We won't tell V." Catalina prodded, leaning closer to the lavender-haired girl, her sister doing the same.

"It's...because of um..Lana." Soul whispered.

"Lana? Why, how is she dragged into- OHHHH!!!!!" The red-haired child shouted, causing the two to cover their ears. "I saw that! I saw that happen. No wonder you were in a sour mood! " She stopped, gasping in realization. "Are you-"

Before Catalina could say anything any further, Soul covered the girl's mouth, blushing furiously. "SHHHH! Please, don't tell him I have a crush on him." She said with pleading eyes.

"I was actually gonna say if you were jealous, but wow!" 

"Wait! You have a crush on him, and you didn't tell us? I thought we were your friends!" Kiera pouted, flopping down on the floor. 

"I'm sorry. To be honest, I didn't tell you because I'm not entirely sure if I should continue it. I don't want a repeat of the Travis incident." The astrologer replied, scratching her cheek. Catalina and Kiera nodded their heads, understanding that what happened on her date with Travis must have scared her.

"But how are you gonna stop it? I mean, from what I heard, you can't stop it once you feel it." Kiera questioned as she rested her head on her palm.

"I'll just avoid him until it wears out. That seems like a plan."

"Nope!"

"That's a horrible plan, really."

\---------*Another time skip because it's necessary*---------------------------------

Varian awoke to the sound of someone playing the guitar. Sitting up, he noticed that a certain astrologer wasn't on her couch along with her pets, and surprisingly, Ruddiger too. The alchemist stood up and went outside where he heard the guitar to see no one when a large shadow of a raccoon appeared in front of him. Varian looked up to see Ruddiger and Flick above the caravan, waving down at him.

"Ruddiger? Flick? What are you two doing up there?" He asked confusedly. Of course, the two furry creatures were animals, and they don't talk, so they gestured for the alchemist to come up to the roof instead. Varian raised a brow before entering the caravan again to go up the roof. Once on top, he saw Soul humming while strumming her guitar. The girl was too busy playing her instrument and staring at the sky to even notice the teen's presence. Varian's shoulders drooped as he stared at the girl. 

"Bark!" Looking down, he saw Flick nodding his head towards the girl, swishing his tail excitedly. Ruddiger, who was beside the fox, nodded his head in agreement. Varian looked back at the girl, sighing before deciding to talk to her again. After all, he still liked her. He was sure that he would find it impossible to hate her and not talk to her.

"No, I wasn't born without these flaws. And that's what made me like this. No, can you blame me? Oh woaah oh." Soul sang, striking the right chords to accompany her singing.

"No, I can't blame you." 

.

.

.

WHACK!!

"VARIAN! AT THIS POINT, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I SHOULD SAY SORRY ANYMORE." Soul whisper yelled, trying to keep her voice down since everyone else was asleep. "Why do you keep sneaking up on me like that?"

"I'm sorry. I forget you're always on guard." Varian croaked, rubbing his forehead where the girl elbowed him.

"Are you alright? I can't heal you since it doesn't have a wound." The girl asked, reaching to touch his forehead, but stopped as she remembered what happened earlier afternoon. She lowered her hand and placed it on her arm, gripping it tightly, biting her lip. 

"Look-" The two of them said at the same time. Their eyes met for a second before they both looked away.

"You first." Soul offered, rubbing her arm. 

Varian cleared his throat, tousling his hair. "I-"

"I'm sorry!" Soul shouted, interrupting the alchemist as she bowed her head. Her eyes shut closed. "Before you potentially unfriend me, I just want to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you when you did nothing wrong."

"T-then, why were you ignoring me?" Varian questioned, stammering a bit as he didn't expect the girl's sudden outburst. Soul blushed brightly, confusing Varian even more.

"Um...don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault. I just took it out on you." She replied. "What were you gonna say?" Soul asked, hoping that Varian wouldn't ask why she was ignoring him anymore.

"Oh, um. I just want to apologize for what I said. Eugene and I had a talk earlier, and he reminded me that like Rapunzel, you were isolated from other human beings." Varian confessed before realizing what he said it the last part. "I mean! Not isolated, more like, um, an outcast? NO, that sounds worst. You know what, I'm just gonna shut up now. But the point is! I guess I was a bit too harsh on you. And I'm sorry." 

Soul's eyes softened as she stared at the alchemist. "I forgive you. I mean, I'm the one at fault here anyway." She answered, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Thanks, and I forgive you too. Friends?" Varian replied, spreading his arms wide. Soul laughed wholeheartedly, stretching her arms towards him and pulling him into a hug.

"Best friends!" She exclaimed. Varian let out a quiet disheartened chuckle as Soul referred to him as a best friend. Of course, he was happy she finally sees him as someone she can trust, but...he wanted to be more than best friends. Maybe it was too soon to decide that, but Varian is new to this feeling. He was never this love-struck before, and his mind wants to be with Soul. But his heart was having second thoughts. To wait or to dive in.

"Want to stargaze with me?" Soul invited, pulling away from the boy and sitting back to where she was sitting earlier, patting the spot beside her. 

Yeah, let's wait for a bit more time. What's the rush anyway. He thought before proceeding to sit next to the girl. "So, what now?" Varian asked, watching in confusion as Soul laid down.

"We lay down and look up the sky! It's much easier and more comfortable than tilting our heads upward to see the stars. And it's easier pointing out constellations!" She exclaimed. Varian shrugged his shoulders, lying down next to her. He glanced at her to see Soul smiling at him. You know, this isn't a bad sight to wake up to.

"Now, I doubt you know any constellations, so here are a few easy ones to spot." Soul started, her eyes darting around the clear black sky before pointing towards a spot. "There! See those five stars over there? You know, that one that looks like a 'W'?" 

Varian squinted his eyes at where the girl was pointing, nodding his head when he saw it. " Yeah, and?"

"That's Cassiopeia! The Queen."

"The Queen of what?"

"Doesn't matter, I'll tell you next time. Now that over there. See those stars that look like a crooked cross? That's Cygnus, the swan, and it's my favorite constellation!" She shared. "And that over there is Lyra, the harp." Soul continued to point out various constellations, throwing small facts about them as well, while Varian was barely even listening. Well, he was listening until he got distracted by the girl's bright expression. Something he used to wish to see. "Varian, are you even listening?" Soul snapped.

"Oh! Um, y-yeah. I just..." He trailed off, yawning. The girl giggled, internally thinking how cute he looked when he yawns. 

"Got sleepy?" She finished for him, smirking.

He chuckled in response. "Yeah."

Silence lingered between them, but the silence wasn't unbearable and awkward. It was serene and enjoyable, just the two of them basking in each other's presence.

"Hey, Varian."

"Yeah?"

"If you don't mind me asking. What did you mean when you said you did bad things before?" Soul questioned. She wanted to ask this question for a long time now but didn't say anything because she knew it was a sensitive subject. But, now looked like the perfect time to ask. Varian didn't say anything, and Soul got worried that it was a bad idea to ask him. "You don't have to answer. I understand, and I'm so sorry for asking!"

"No! No, it's just. I was thinking about where to begin." Varian sighed before he proceeded to share his tale. "Two years ago, a bunch of black rocks suddenly appeared out of nowhere. My dad told me to stay away from them, but I was a pretty stubborn kid, and I experimented and studied them anyway." He chuckled.

"My solution messed up, and when I was about to get stuck in the amber, my dad saved me and he was the one who got trapped. I hastily traveled to the kingdom to look for help, but when I got there, I- I didn't get the help I wanted. And worst of all, I felt betrayed." Varian sat up, and gritted his teeth in anger. "Rapunzel said she would help me, but she didn't. When I returned to Old Corona, it was too late. I found my father fully encased by the amber. Out of anger and spite, I decided to get revenge towards Corona, especially Rapunzel. I built an automaton, I committed treason, I kidnapped the queen, and almost killed a lot of people. Especially when I joined the Saporians and helped them take over the kingdom." Soul's eyes widened at what she heard. 

"After a while of joining them, I realized I was doing the wrong thing, and I just used Rapunzel's betrayal as an excuse to make myself feel better. That I was in the right. But I wasn't. And whoop-di-do! Look who saved me and took me back to the light? Yep! It was Rapunzel herself. I knew she was busy the day I needed help, but I was selfish. I expected her to drop the kingdom's welfare just to help me. We made up when I helped her drive the Saporians away. She even helped me save my dad..."Varian was in tears at this point. He was reminiscing all the pain he felt when Rapunzel refused to help. All the guilt while helping the Saporians. And all the look of disgust by the citizens of Corona whenever they would see him walk around. He remembered it all. And it was stirring up a lot of emotions in him.

Soul sat up, and scooted towards the small railing on the roof (Varian added this when he was fixing the caravan, since he noticed how much time Soul, Catalina, and Kiera spent on the roof), leaning her back towards it. "Come." She instructed. Varian wiped his tears, doing what he was told, sitting down beside her. "Here, rest your head on my shoulder." 

Varian's cheeks heated up a bit, asking if it's really alright. Soul rolled her eyes as she gently pushed his head towards her shoulder. At first, he was a bit tense, but soon after, he started to relax as the girl's scent filled his sense. No! Bad Varian! You're being creepy. But she smells nice...

"I have to be honest, but that was really low of you. Blaming Rapunzel for your own mistake, then proceeding to take it out on her family and people. Forgive me for being harsh, but it's the truth, and you have to hear it. " Soul stated. Varian furrowed his eyebrows, clenching his fists, but he knew that the girl was right. "And I know that you're still hurting. But someone told me to face my fears. And I think that someone should heed their advice." She added, giving a small smug smile towards the alchemist.

"Soul..."

"I see your monsters. I see your pain." Varian's eyes widened at the song Soul was singing.

"Tell me your problems, I'll chase them away. I'll be your lighthouse, I'll make it okay." Soul gently pushed away some of Varian's hair away from his face. "When I see your monsters, I'll stand there so brave. And chase them all away." She finished, pecking him on the forehead.

"You can sleep if you want. I'll be here." Soul softly said before she continued to sing. "In the dark we, we stand apart we never see the things we need our staring right at us. You just want to hide, never show your smile. Stand alone, when you need someone it's the hardest thing of all that you see are the bad bad bad memories. Take your time and you'll find me." Her singing became stronger and louder in each line, emphasizing certain words. 

"I see your monsters, I see your pain. Tell me your problems, I'll chase them away. I'll be your lighthouse, I'll make it okay. When I see your monsters, I'll stand there so brave." She stopped and turned to look down on her shoulder to see Varian asleep. Dried tears staining his cheeks. Soul wiped the remaining tears away from the alchemist's face before softly finishing the last lyrics. "And chase them all away.... Goodnight, Varian. Sweet dreams." She whispered, kissing the top of his head. She gestured for Flick and Ruddiger to come and sleep next to them, to which the two happily obliged. 

Meanwhile, Sir Hoots-a-lot stared at the two teenagers from a tree he was perched in, and even if he wasn't human, you could see the sadness and worry in his eyes, the more that Varian and Soul became closer.


	42. Chapter 41: A Caravan to a Boat

Sir Hoots-a-lot flew over to where Flick was, gently poking him with his wing. "Flick, wake up. I need to ask you something." He whispered. The fox let out a small sneeze, yawning as he half-opened his eyes.

"Hoots, it's still sleep time. Ask me later." Flick stated, swishing his tail on the owl's face, going back to sleep. If the owl could show emotions as vividly as humans do, he would be expressing a tremendously, irritated expression. Annoyed at his friend's response, Hoots grabbed Flick's tail as he began to drag the fox away from the sleeping duo, plus raccoon, before biting on it harshly. Flick screeched, and thank goodness Ruddiger was a heavy sleeper, or else Hoots wouldn't have the chance to talk to the fox.

"What was that for?" The fox hissed, pulling his tail towards him and rubbing it with his paw in an attempt to soothe the pain. "What do you want to talk about so badly anyway???"

"It's about Soul." 

Flick let out a yawn stretching a bit. "And? What about her?" He asked, scratching behind his ears.

"Do you think it's okay for them to get so close?" Hoots worriedly questioned, gesturing to the two teenagers. 

"Why not? I mean, our little girl deserves to be happy." Flick softly replied, turning to look at his sleeping human friend. "Plus, I think it's too late to stop them."

Neither of them said something as they watched Soul and Varian cuddle each other unknowingly. Soul shifted, waking up. She opened her eyes a bit, seeing Hoots and Flick. "Flick, Hoots. Go back to sleep." She mumbled before flopping back down on Varian's chest, thinking it was her couch.

"Hoots is an owl...they're nocturnal. They don't usually sleep at night." Varian replied, half-awake. Soul just nodded her head, sleeping some more. 

.

.

.

Varian's eyes snapped open, looking down to see the girl sleeping peacefully on his chest. He looked around and saw that they were still on the caravan's roof. He also noticed Ruddiger sleeping on Soul's lap. "How long...?" Varian asked, trailing off as he stared at the girl's animal companions. 

Flick and Hoots looked at each other before turning to the alchemist, shrugging their shoulders. Well, Hoots used his wings. Varian sat himself up, careful not to wake Soul as he settled her into a more comfortable position. Copying the girl's previous actions, he swept some of Soul's hair away from her face before he placed a small kiss on her forehead. 

"Goodnight, Soul." He whispered, going back to sleep. 

Hoots sadly sighed as he flew away to capture his meal, muttering a small he'll be back later. Flick turned his head towards the two teenagers, sighing. He slowly walked towards his owner's lap, only to see Ruddiger sleeping. The fox poked the raccoon a few times before confirming that he won't wake up. A mischievous smirk donned Flick's face as he pushed Ruddiger off Soul's lap. 

"Sorry, Ruds. But you have your own owner. Go sleep on his lap." He stated. Flick yawned, settling himself on the girl's lap. He looked up at Soul with sad eyes before drifting off to sleep.

\------------------------------------------------

"Should we wake them up?"

"Wait! Before you do, I wanna draw this moment first. They're so cute!"

"No! Let's have Sir Hoots-a-lot wake them. This is still Soul we're waking. Do you wanna get burned?"

"Don't be such a chicken, Lance."

"Yeah!"

"So what should we do?"

"We could shake them gently?"

"No. Gentle does NOT work with Soul. We've tried that before."

"We can shout or bang some pots loudly?"

"Are you asking for a death wish?"

"What if we-"

"You don't even need to do any of those..." A voice interrupted the group's discussion.

Everyone stopped talking as they turned their heads to see Soul yawning and stretching her arms out. "Please keep quiet. Varian's still sleeping." She grunted.

"What were you doing, sleeping outside Star Gazer? What if it rained?" Eugene scolded as he placed his hands on his hips.

Soul waved her hand. "Don't worry. If I knew it was gonna rain, we would have head back inside, like, hours ago." She responded. Her voice cracking a bit. She covered her mouth, yawning in her hand as her other hand scratched her head, messing her hair more. 

"Hey, Soul. You better go inside the caravan before the birds think your hair is their nest." Kiera snickered, gesturing to Soul's bedhead. 

Soul glared at the child as she fixed her hair using her hands. Flipping her hair back, she pulled away from Varian, carefully removing his head from her shoulder before standing up.

"You're just gonna leave Romeo there?" Lance teased. The astrologer covered the lower half of her face, turning her back from the burly man.

"Wake him up. It's time we get a move on anyway." Soul grabbed Rapunzel's hand leading her down inside the caravan and into the kitchenette. It wasn't really a kitchenette since the room doesn't have any cooking equipment or such, other than the small stove and a cabinet that contains all the plates, glasses, and utensils.

"What are we doing here?" The princess asked as she watched the lavender-haired girl bring out ingredients for.. "Are you gonna make ham sandwiches?"

The girl nodded her head as she lit up the stove using her magic. "Can you please help me, Raps? I want to make breakfast for everyone!" Soul requested, clasping her hands together as she looked up at the brunette with pleading eyes. Rapunzel was shocked for a second since this was the first time Soul requested something to her, but she quickly smiled, glad to see the girl opening up more.

"Of course. Why ham sandwiches, though? Not that I don't like them. But any specific reason you want to make someone's favorite food?" The brunette teased a bit as she sliced the ham into slightly thick pieces.

"I think I made Varian remember something he doesn't want to remember last night when we were talking. So, I want to cheer him up!" Soul chirped, her expression shifting from a sad one to a happy one. 

"Well, I'll help make the other's sandwiches. You make Varian's so you can give it your secret ingredient." The princess offered, winking playfully.

"My brother's special seasoning?"

"What?"

"It's a seasoning that I always add to my cooking. It's like allspice, but much more flavorful and more aromatic!"

"What? No! I meant love."

"....oh!"

\-------------------------

"Breakfast is ready!" Soul yelled from outside the caravan as Rapunzel brought out the plate of ham sandwiches. At the word breakfast, Catalina and Kiera jumped down from the roof, earning them a scolding from the astrologer about how they could have broke their heads if they fell wrong.

"I swear, Soul is becoming their official older sister. Thinking of adopting her as well, Lance?" Eugene teased his best friend of many years, playfully nudging the burly man.

"Uhm..I'll pass, thank you."

"Heeeeyy~ I knew I smelled it right. Ham sandwiches!" Varian excitedly shouted as he exited the caravan. He was about to take one from the plate when Soul stopped him.

"Here, this is yours." She stated, handing the alchemist the sandwich she made. Since Rapunzel was the one who prepared the other sandwiches, Varian's sandwich was made differently.

Varian was confused for a second, before shrugging and taking the plate of his all-time favorite dish from his all-time favorite person. Soul watched with sparkly eyes as the alchemist ate (practically devoured) the sandwich.

"So? How is it?" The girl shyly asked, hoping Varian would compliment her cooking.

"It tastes pretty good!" Was the boy's only reply as he continued to munch on the sandwich. 

"And?" Soul asked again, urging Varian to say more.

"It's juicy." Varian happily replied, unaware that his response only annoyed the girl further. He was about to take another bite from the sandwich when it was abruptly stolen from him. "Wha- hey! Give me my sandwich back!"

"I made the sandwich, so by definition. It's mine. PLUS, YOU HAVE REVOKED ALL RIGHTS TO EAT THESE HAM SANDWICHES!" Soul angrily shouted, causing the black-haired alchemist to cry out in sadness as he fell on his knees.

"What? No! What did I do?" He questioned, banging his fist on the ground, crying dramatically.

Soul only scoffed in response as she disappeared into the caravan with Varian's plate of sandwich. 

"What did he do this time?" Eugene asked, leaning on the door frame, eating his sandwich. The girl gave him a sharp glare, making Eugene throw his hands up in surrender, exiting the caravan. 

"What did I do?" Varian whimpered, looking up at Eugene with huge watery eyes.

"Get up, kid. I think your puppy eyes won't work this time." Eugene warned, helping the alchemist up. "By the way, maybe I could sneak you a sandwich."

"Really?"

"Just stay quiet, kid."

\-------------------------------------------

"So! Where to next, Star Gazer?" Eugene questioned as he sat himself on the coachman's boot, preparing to give instructions to the horses.

"Wait, let me check." Soul replied, rummaging through her rucksack and satchel, wondering where did she put the map. "Aha!" She exclaimed, pulling out the map, cringing a bit when she saw how crumpled the parchment was.

"Geez! Where did you place that? It looks like it's gonna rip any second now." Kiera commented, crinkling her nose as she pointed at the piece of parchment the older girl was holding. The astrologer scratched her cheek in embarrassment, opening the map, proceeding to scan its contents.

"We're going to Lancelot Coast. Then after we get there, we need to ride a boat all the way to Dale Island where Pisces' temple is." Soul announced, her brows scrunching together. "But where do we get a boat?"

Everyone thought for a second before Rapunzel snapped her fingers. "What if we transform the caravan into a boat?"

"Princess, with all due respect, but how in the world are we gonna turn a land vehicle into a water vehicle? Plus what about Maximus and Oren?" Soul queried.

"We could attach a huge inflatable balloon underneath, and add some sails. I mean, that's what we did the last time we needed a boat. " 

"That won't withstand a storm. It's a crazy idea. Right, Varian?" The astrologer asked the other inventor of the group.

"No, it's very much possible. We just need to add support to the balloon, and waterproof the caravan." Varian answered, grabbing a piece of paper as he began scribbling the blueprint for the project.

"You guys are crazy." 

"You'll get used to us soon, Soul."

"When that time comes, I don't know if I should treat it as a blessing or a curse." 

"So, what materials do you need, little man? Do we need to stop by a town first? Chop down some trees for wood?" Lance asked, leaning his arm on the alchemist's head. How Varian didn't flinch from the man's weight, we will never know.

"Yeah, I think we need to chop down some trees. And I recall I brought a huge balloon with me, just in case we need it." Varian answered, listing down the materials that were both available and unavailable.

"If we're chopping down trees, we need to make sure it's in a secluded area, where it would be unnoticeable. If it happens that someone owns the land, we would be in huge trouble if they find out we took some of their property." Soul suggested, remembering the time she accidentally chopped down a tree that belonged to the faeries. She was lucky that they were the good ones and not the bad ones.

Nodding in agreement, Varian finished listing the items, emphasizing the ones needed. "Okay, so I have most of the tools with me. We just need more rope, wood, and a way to waterproof the caravan. Can I count on you with the last part, Soul?" He asked, looking at the astrologer.

"I don't know. I never used water type spells before.." She trailed off, looking at the side. Soul glanced at the alchemist, who was giving her the puppy eyes before sighing. "Fine, but I'm not helping you build the boat. I'll be using my time practicing the spell."

"Yes!"

"And you'll give me the rest of your cookies. Think of them as payment for making me learn a spell I'm not comfortable using."

"Fine."

"Then it's settled!" Rapunzel cheered. "So, should we chop some trees now or wait until we get to Lancelot Coast?" 

"It's best if we wait until we arrive at the beach. It would be difficult to move if we carry the tree trunks with us." Lance suggested.

"Then, we wait!"

"Where do we get the rope?" Soul asked.

"Is there any nearby town we could stop by to?" Eugene asked back. Looking at the map, Soul shook her head.

"GET YOUR POTS AND VASES! ALL OUT SALE!" 

Everyone glanced outside (minus Eugene, who was already outside), seeing a traveling merchant. 

"It was a good thing the old man sold rope!" Varian exclaimed, rolling the rope and placing it in his bag. "Albeit, he was very reluctant in selling it."

"Gold makes the world go round, Varian. If Raps didn't offer him gold, he wouldn't have sold it to us." Kiera stated, placing two cards in front of her as she, Catalina, Flick, and Ruddiger were playing poker. Yes. Flick and Ruddiger were playing as well.

"Now, onwards to Lancelot Coast!"

\--------------------------------------------------------------

"THE OCEAN IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!" Soul, Kiera, and Catalina shouted as they literally, and I mean LITERALLY, jumped off the caravan's roof, where they were hanging out earlier as they ran straight into the ocean. Soul removed her boots before lunging in, shivering as the cold water touched her skin. 

"So this is the ocean?" She rhetorically asked, feeling the sand between her toes as the small waves from the ocean crashed on her legs.

"Yeah, haven't you seen the huge ocean surrounding Corona before?" Kiera asked.

"I've seen it once or twice when I go to the kingdom, but I never stared at it before. I was always in a hurry to go home and stay away from civilization."

"Mood." The black-haired child commented, splashing some water towards the astrologer.

"Alright, kids, settle down. There's plenty of time to play in the water later. Help us chop some trees first. Especially you, Soul. We need your help carrying them." Eugene instructed as he watched Soul stomp towards him. The ex-thief was sort of amused to see the usually calm astrologer act like a child. Well, she's still a child, but you get what he means.

"Eugene, before I even carry that trunk, I'm gonna get squished. Like a grape." Soul deadpanned, referring to her small stature. Eugene facepalmed as he gestured to his hands. Soul scrunched her eyebrows together, shrugging her shoulders.

"I meant with your magic, Star Gazer."

"Wow, first, Varian's water spell, and now levitation spell. You guys want me dead, don't ya?"

"You know what, never mind. Just carry on!" Eugene gave in, urging her to continue doing what she was previously doing. Soul smirked in victory before proceeding to take her dress off, revealing her shorts and tank top.

"All right, let's start learning this water spell!" She determinedly stated, going in a stance as she walked back towards the shoreline.

.

.

.

"I'll start learning the spell after I know what spell to use." She said, quickly walking back to the caravan.

Meanwhile, Varian's face was flushed red as he saw the whole scene. The afternoon sunlight, reflected Soul's figure when she took her clothes off, and you can imagine how the alchemist fanboyed at the sight.

"You're acting like a creep again, Varian. Snap out of it!" He quietly scolded himself.

"Hey, Varian! Let's get going." Lance called.

"Coming!"


	43. Chapter 42: Water Problems

It has been four days since the group, minus Soul, and the younger girls had started working on turning their caravan into a boat. And so far, the caravan looks pretty good.

"Just a few more tweaks and making sure that everything is perfectly assembled, we can finally sail our way to Dale Island." Varian announced while tightening some screws he thought were a bit loose on the steering wheel. 

"Great! It's been a while since we've gone on a romantic cruise." Eugene purred, wiggling his eyebrows towards Rapunzel, causing her to get flustered.

"This trip is far from being a romantic cruise, Eugene." She replied, giggling as she kissed the man on his cheek.

This caused an idea to spark in Eugene's mind. "Hey! How about we go on a romantic cruise on our honeymoon?" He suggested.

"I don't mind whatever we do. As long as it's you, I'm sharing those moments with."

Varian watched the couple's interactions while hammering down a nail, gasping in surprise when he almost hammered his own hand. The hammer's head was VERY close to his hand. Had he not stopped, he was sure to say goodbye to his left hand. 

"Distracted again, are we?" Lance teased, appearing behind the alchemist. Varian placed a hand over his chest where his heart would be as he turned around to face his older friend.

"Lance! W-what are you talking about? And stop sneaking up on me!" Varian yelled, annoyed. He then thought back to the last part he said, and his mind instantly flew towards Soul and the many times he snuck of on her. In his defense, the girl was always on her guard. I sound like Soul just now. Hehe...

"Thinking of a certain lavender-haired girl with blue eyes?" Lance asked as he leaned on the poor alchemist, using Varian's head as support. "I mean, who else got you smiling?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Well, sure. She's part of the reason why I was smiling."

"Knew it!"

"But! It's because of what happened earlier reminded me of us." Varian interjected, putting his hands up.

"What happened earlier? You mean Eugene and Raps acting sweet and couple-y?" The burly man teased more.

"Wha- No! I don't even think about that." The alchemist denied, his cheeks turning red. Lance just looked at him in disbelief, urging him to tell the truth. "I mean, I thought about it once."

Lance didn't say anything as he crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow as he continued to stare at the poor blushing teen.

"Or twice..." Lance just squinted his eyes, causing Varian to grumble out in frustration. "ALRIGHT, FINE! I've thought about it a lot."

"Attaboy! You know it's not good to lie to yourself." Lance cheered as he ruffled the alchemist's hair, causing Varian's goggles to almost fall from his head.

"Speaking of Soul, where is she?" Rapunzel asked from below deck, looking around for the lavender-haired girl.

"Oh, there she is!" Eugene shouted, pointing towards the astrologer, who was lying seemingly lifeless on the sand by the shore. Rapunzel was about to run to check on the girl when Eugene stopped her, saying he's got this. 

Jumping off the caraboat, named by the one and only Varian, the ex-thief took his sweet time in approaching the astrologer. Finally reaching the girl, Eugene looked down on Soul, taking in her appearance. "Still alive down there, buddy?"

Soul groaned in response, not opening her eyes as she dusted off some sand that got on her face.

"I'm taking that as a yes." The relaxing sound of waves crashing on the shoreline and the squawking of seagulls were the only things to be heard as it was silent around the two. "Soooo, how's your water spell coming along?"

The girl opened her eyes, blinking rapidly due to the sunlight. Once her sight adjusted to the light, Soul looked up at the man with an exasperated expression. "I don't know, take a guess."

Eugene placed a hand under his chin in thought. "I think it's going swell." His response earned him a bunch of sand thrown at his face, courtesy of the astrologer.

"Shut up." Soul replied, sitting up and stretching her limbs, moaning. "It's obviously going terrible."

"You could have just said so." The ex-thief stated, spitting out some sand that magically got inside his mouth. "Why don't you take a break? Play in the water with the girls." Eugene suggested as he sat beside the girl, gesturing to Catalina and Kiera, who were swimming.

"I can't. We need to get to Dale Island before or at exact November 18. It's already November 7, and I still haven't mastered the spell. Heck! I can't even last a few minutes while keeping it activated." Soul huffed, pouting as she hid her face in her hands.

"Then, why not just don't learn it?"

"What?"

"I mean, if you can't handle it, why continue doing it? It's better than pushing yourself until you die, right?" Eugene asked, shrugging his shoulders, leaning back.

"But I already told Varian that I'd waterproof the caraboat. Plus, I'm not just learning how to use water spells for waterproofing. I want to learn them just in case something bad happens while we're in the middle of the ocean." She declared, placing a hand above her chest. Her eyebrows scrunched upwards. "I can't afford to get everyone in danger. The king and queen trusted me to keep Rapunzel safe, but I can't do that if I can't learn some stupid water spell!"

Eugene's eyes softened as he looked down at the girl beside him. Looking back from when they first met, his assumptions towards the girl being mean and untrustworthy were proven to be false. "Hey, now. Come here." He instructed, opening his arms. 

"What? No!" Soul said in mild disgust, backing away from the man. Eugene snickered as he scooted closer.

"Aww, come on! Let me give you a hug." He exclaimed, capturing the teen in his arms, chuckling as he watched her struggle to push him away. "You're not much of a hugger, are ya kid?" Eugene commented, ruffling Soul's hair.

After a few minutes of struggling and failing to pull away from the ex-thief's strong grip, Soul reluctantly accepted the hug. "If it's you, then I don't want one." 

"How you wound me so, Star Gazer!" Eugene dramatically stated, pulling the girl closer with one arm while his other arm was placed on his forehead in a dramatic pose. "Whatever did I do to deserve this!"

"You're so weird, Eugene." Seeing the girl finally laughing, Eugene smiled as well, letting her go. "I don't know where the hug came from, but thanks."

"I guess Rapunzel just rubbed off of me. She says hugs are the best cure for sadness, and it looked like you needed one." The ex-thief sheepishly replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He cast a glance towards the caraboat, his eyes softly shimmering as he stared at a certain brunette from afar. "I'm so lucky to have her."

Soul watched how Eugene lovingly stared at Rapunzel, silently wishing that Varian would do the same. "IT'S NOT LIKE I LIKE HIM THAT MUCH ANYWAY!" She unconsciously shouted, causing Eugene to look at her strangely.

"You say I'M weird, but clearly you're weirder."

"Did I...say that out loud?" Nodding his head, Soul's face flushed red as she hid her face in her hands, rolling around on the sand. "That was so embarrassing!"

"Not as embarrassing as you're doing right now, though." The ex-thief amusedly stated. She's definitely coming out of her shell more. "So, were you referring to Varian just now?" He teasingly asked, causing the astrologer to turn redder.

"Who told you...?" She shyly asked, peeking out from her hands.

"You. Just now." Eugene replied as he checked his fingernails. "I mean if you were talking about before this. Well, I'm not that stupid, you know."

"Oh, really." She drawled, raising a brow.

"Hey! Just so you know, I was an uncatchable thief. No stupid person can achieve that." He proudly boasted.

"Yeah, because only stupid people steal." Soul scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway- back on the topic at hand. So... Gonna tell him soon?" Eugene asked, changing the topic as he playfully nudged Soul's shoulders.

"Our original topic was me not mastering the water spell, not my 'not-so-obvious' crush on Varian." She replied, leaning her cheek on her knees, sneezing a bit when she inhaled specks of sand from when she was rolling around earlier. "And no. I won't."

"Why not? I'm sure the kid likes you back." The ex-thief asked, turning his body towards the girl.

Soul let out a small snort hearing Eugene's statement. "Yeah, I doubt that. Plus, I'm still busy with this whole Zhan Tiri thing. I don't want any future distractions that Zhan Tiri may use against me or any of us for that matter." She explained.

Just like what Varian said. Eugene thought. Well, she will crack soon. If Varian couldn't hold it in, I'm sure neither can she.

"Alright, your call." Eugene said as he stood up, stretching and dusting his butt off for some sand that got stuck on his pants. "And for the water spell. I'm sure Varian would understand if you're having a hard time mastering it. Plus, it's inevitable if the caraboat gets wet. Aaand if we encounter an accident while on the water, I'm sure we can handle it. So don't beat yourself up, alright?" He added before going back towards the almost-finished caraboat, leaving Soul to try and practice one more time before she gives up.

"What was she shouting about?" Varian asked when Eugene came back. The ex-thief just shrugged his shoulders, gesturing for the alchemist to come to him. Placing his hammer down, Varian did as he was told, jumping down from the poop deck. Once he was close enough, Eugene leaned down, whispering something to the alchemist, making Varian's eyes go wide.

\---------------------------------------- 

Focusing all her strength towards her hands, Soul muttered the spell needed as blue mist surrounded her hands. She lifted her hands up, and the water followed her command. Once the water was high enough in the air, Soul's hands trembled as she waved her hand around, trying to form balls out of the water. The ball of water shook as Soul desperately tried to keep the ball steady, muttering the spell over and over. She was desperate to master the spell despite the water getting blurry...or was it her surroundings?

"Hey."

SPLASH! 

Turning around, Soul's eyes scanned Varian's drenched form, slightly noticing how his shirt clung to his form. Varian groaned as he wrung his shirt, removing the excess water, making the astrologer's eyes unconsciously travel to the teen's navel....BAD SOUL! She thought, mentally smacking herself, blushing.

"I'm scared to go near you next time." Varian mumbled as he shook his hair.

"It's not my fault! You keep sneaking up on me." Soul retorted, folding her arms on her chest. "But hey! At least... I--"

"Woah, Soul!" Varian screamed as he caught the girl, who suddenly collapsed. "Eugene wasn't kidding when he said you were pushing yourself." He whispered. Varian adjusted how he carried Soul, placing an arm beneath her legs and the other supporting her back before he ran to the caraboat, shouting for help.

\---------------------- 

Silence enveloped the two as Soul played with a strand of her hair while Varian was sitting quietly on a chair next to the bed the girl was settled in, his fingers clasped together as he blankly stared at the wall. The atmosphere was a bit thick, and you could cut the tension with a knife. 

"Eugene told me." Varian started, catching Soul's attention. "He told me you were trying too hard to master that water spell. I know that I told you that I wanted you to waterproof the caravan, but you didn't have to strain yourself to the point you would pass out. Why didn't you tell me?"

"You trusted me to do the task. After you told me your story, I thought that the last thing you'd want to hear was me breaking your trust." Soul quietly confessed, averting her gaze towards something else. Varian's eyes widened a bit, touched that she considered his feelings and his slight trust issues, but he was still mad that the girl pushed herself to her breaking point. "Plus, I'd hate to let you down more than anything." She added.

Frowning, Varian told Soul to look at him. When she didn't, he gently grabbed her chin, making her face him as he caressed her cheek. "I appreciate you caring for my feelings, but that doesn't mean that you can't tell me that you can't do it in a short time." He softly stated. "I mean, I know you could do it. I have no doubts in your ability or whatsoever. But from what I can see from all the times I have helped you practice, it's that magic is like alchemy."

"Wow. I never thought that I'd hear you say that." Soul giggled.

Varian chuckled. "Me too. Anyway, my point is. Like alchemy, certain magic spells take time to learn or master. If you calculate them wrong, they may explode. In your case, if you continue to push yourself without rest." Gasping, Soul gave Varian a look, asking how he knew about that. Varian looked away, blushing a bit as he gave his answer. "Aside from the fact that Eugene told me, I sorta watch you practice sometimes."

"Didn't anyone told you it's rude to stare at someone?"

"Says the girl who was checking me out earlier." 

"What do you mean? I was not checking you out!" Soul shouted, declining the teen's claim despite her bright red face.

"Sure, whatever you say, Soul." He laughed as he watched the girl huff and pout childishly, making him laugh even more.

"What are you laughing at?" Soul shouted. Although she wouldn't admit it out loud, the smooth and melodic sound of the alchemist's laughter made her heart flip and the butterflies in her stomach flutter. His laughs were very pleasing to listen to, and of course, it only took her this long to realize that; considering all the months they have known each other.

"Nothing, nothing. You're just so cute when you act like a child." Varian replied, wiping a stray tear in his eyes from laughing too much. His statement made the girl's face blush an even brighter shade of red. Realizing what he said, his cheeks heated up as he coughed in his hand, looking away. 

The two teens stayed silent after that. Both of them, not looking at each other, trying to hide their blushing faces. Clearing his throat, Varian continued, breaking the silence. "So, yeah. Just please don't, um, push yourself like that again. I- WE worry about you, you know? And uh, if you need help practicing the spell NEXT time, not now, let me know. I'd be glad to help you." 

"Yeah, I promise." Soul replied, nodding her head.

"Promise?" Varian seriously asked.

Soul nodded her head, raising her right hand. "I promise."

"That you'll never be afraid to tell anyone that you're hurting or ask them for help?"

"Hey, we were talking about me not pushing myself. What's with the extra two?" She asked, raising a brow.

"I know, but it's because that you're afraid to ask for help or tell anyone what you're feeling that's resulting you to push yourself." Varian explained. "And besides, if I wasn't allowed to push you to your limits, then you're not allowed to as well. I don't want you dying on me."

Sighing, Soul raised her right hand straightly, repeating his words. "I promise that I won't push myself when practicing spells, and I won't be scared to ask for help and tell everyone how I feel."

"Good." Varian commented, smiling. The astrologer gave him a smile in return when she noticed how the bed would rock once in a while. Noticing the girl's distraught expression, Varian asked her if she was alright.

"Is it just me, or is the bed rocking? I don't feel dizzy, but the bed...."

"Oh! I forgot to tell you. We've already set sail for Dale Island." Soul's eyes widened as she abruptly jumped off the bed, speeding towards outside the caravan. Slamming the door open, the evening sea breeze instantly hit her skin, causing her to shiver slightly from the cold. How long was she unconscious? Soul remembered it was still light out before she passed out, and judging from the moon's position, she was sure it was somewhere seven in the evening.

"Oh, Soul! You're finally awake. How are ya' feeling, Star Gazer?" Eugene asked as he tossed an orange to the girl. He gasped when he saw how Soul almost failed to catch the fruit, sighing in relief when she didn't.

"I'm feeling okay now. And how dare you!" She snapped, throwing the fruit back harshly, hitting Eugene straight in the chest. "Give me that back, I just needed to throw something at you, and it was the closest thing to me." Soul mumbled, stretching her hand out, gesturing to the ex-thief to give her back the orange. 

Grunting, Eugene picked up the orange from the floor, handing it to her. "What was that for?"

"I thought I was gonna tell Varian about my problem?" 

"Oh, that. Well, I figured you weren't gonna tell Varian or at least not the full story so, I took the liberty to tell him myself."

Facepalming, Soul peeled the orange, placing one of the pieces in her mouth; savoring the fruit's sweetness. "Please stay out of my-" Remembering her promise to Varian, she sighed, swallowing her words back. "It's fine. I hope my problem was the only thing you told him about."

"Don't worry. I didn't tell Varian about your crush on him. I'm not stupid to reveal something as personal as that. Especially if the person can kill me easily." Eugene replied, mumbling the last part. 

"Well then, next stop, Dale Island!!!" Soul shouted as she looked at the horizon, watching how the sky and ocean seemed to connect.

*****************************

"Eugene...help." Soul whimpered as she choked on the orange she previously ate.

"THIS IS WHY WE DON"T TALK WHEN OUR MOUTHS ARE FULL! HOLD ON!"


	44. Chapter 43: Set Sail For...Dale Island?

"Can we go for a swim?" Kiera asked, tugging on Lance's sleeve.

"No. Haven't you two swam enough before we left Lancelot Coast?" Lance replied, raising a brow as he looked down at the black-haired child. "And besides, the water's too cold now. So unless you want to freeze to death, then No."

"The water's not even that cold!"

"No means no." He sternly said.

"But we wanna swim more." Catalina insisted, tugging on his other sleeve.

Lance pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head as the two kids continued to pester him. He thought that the two would act a bit more mature since they were ex-thieves, but how wrong he was. Since the two redeemed themselves, Catalina and Kiera started acting out their age. Though the two girls are usually behaved and well-mannered, but when they want to do something, and Lance says no, that's when all hell breaks loose.

Suddenly, a splash of water hit the three of them, followed by an apologetic shout from Soul. "Oh my- I'm so sorry! It was Varian's fault."

"What? How is it my fault?" Varian questioned.

"You were the one who told me to try and move the water instead of forming it into a ball!" Soul argued.

"Wh- I told you to move the water in the OTHER direction, not towards where people are!" He threw back, pointing both of his arms to the vast ocean around them. "But hey! You finally got controlled it a bit, though it could still use some work. Good job!"

"A thank you."

"Yeah, that's great and all, congrats. But can you do something to dry us quickly? We don't have enough space to do laundry in the middle of the ocean." Kiera snapped, gesturing to their drenched selves. Soul apologetically smiled before raising a hand towards the three.

"Aqua, Veni ad me." Soul chanted as a blue misty aura started to faintly form around her raised hands. As the aura began to glow brightly, water from Kiera's shirt, hair, and body were pulled off of her, drying her quickly. The water that was collected from Kiera successfully dispersed into the aura around Soul's hands. At her success, she quickly turned to Varian, who gave her a nod of approval as he proudly smiled at her.

"You're doing great, Soul!" He cheered, pumping a fist in the air, jumping in excitement.

Returning the smile, Soul then turned back to the three, focusing more of her energy into her hands. "Aqua, Veni ad me!" The aura around her hands glowed brightly once again, but before she could do anything, she suddenly felt nauseous. Dropping her hands and placing them on her mouth, Soul looked around for a place to release her mouth's upcoming contents. Her eyes eyed the large body of water, and as much as the girl didn't want to pollute the ocean more, she needed to release. Bending over the inflated balloon that served as the caraboat's support to float on the water, she finally vomited while Varian patted her back.

"I think that's enough spell practicing." The alchemist advised, cringing every time the girl hurls.

"I...agree..." Soul replied as she kept vomiting. After she was done releasing her 'mouth germs', she would say, Varian handed her a new handkerchief, allowing her to wipe her mouth on it. "That never happened before. I must have overworked myself this time."

"I told you to rest for a few weeks, but you continued to practice after three days anyway." Varian nagged, crossing his arms.

"I thought I could handle it." The astrologer mumbled as she rubbed her arms. She shyly turned her head towards Lance and Catalina. "Sorry I couldn't dry you two as well."

"It's alright, lil' lady. It's just water. It won't hurt us. We'll just change our clothes later." Lance responded, smiling warmly as he wrung the hem of his shirt.

"Can we swim now? We're pretty much drenched already." Catalina asked again with hopeful eyes. Sighing, Lance gave his answer.

"No."

Cue a bunch of groans from the two children.

==========================================================

"Sailing, we're sailing. We're sailing in the ocean." Catalina quietly sang, sitting on the edge of the inflated balloon while dipping her toes in the water.

"Sailing, we're sailing. We're sailing in the ocean." Looking beside her, Kiera joined in with her singing as she sat next to her older sister. "Sailing. Sailing. We're sailing in the ocean." They sang as they swung their legs by the edge.

It's nice, just relaxing like this. Catalina thought, breathing in the autumn breeze. It was rare to have a tranquil moment like this ever since they left Corona. Closing her eyes, Catalina looked back at everything that happened this year, and it has been a very eventful year. From Cassandra betraying her friends to fighting and defeating Zhan Tiri, which turned out to be not entirely done yet. And now they're in this quest of finding the Zodiac orbs to destroy the demoness once and for all. But right now, Catalina was grateful that someone from above gave her this peaceful moment. No shadow beasts, no Soul and Eugene arguing. Just she and her sister, relaxing and enjoying the ocean's view from the boat. She was sure that nothing can stop..... 

"NO, RUDDIGER, FLICK DON'T!!" Varian screamed, and soon after, a ripping sound was heard as the caraboat stopped moving.

There goes my peace...

"What happened?" Kiera whispered towards Rapunzel, who looked equally confused as they were.

"I honestly don't know." The brunette answered in a concerned tone as she watched Varian pace around, scolding the two older men. "Is everything alright, Varian?" She shouted.

"NO! Everything's not alright. Ruddiger and Flick ripped the sails, and unfortunately, we don't have enough cloth to replace it." The alchemist answered as he glared at the two animals.

"Isn't that bad?" Kiera voiced, eyeing the damaged sails.

"IT'S VERY BAD! We're not even halfway to our destination, and we might not even make it there in time for the peak." Varian answered in exasperation, cupping his cheeks. 

"Can't we row instead? How much longer till we arrive at Dale Island?" Rapunzel asked.

" That would take us forever. And I don't know. Soul has the map, and I haven't seen her since this morning." Varian replied, his eyes darting around the deck, looking for a certain lavender-haired girl.

"That's new, you're usually with her." Kiera flatly said.

"Speaking of Soul...She's gonna flip if she finds out we've stopped moving." 

"I think she's resting inside. She didn't look so good after she puked earlier." Lance said, informing the others of what happened to the girl.

"Think you can check on her, Lance?" The burly man was about to agree when Catalina interrupted him.

"I'll do it!" She shouted, running inside of the caravan. It wasn't hard to spot where the astrologer was since Soul was just lying on her couch across the entrance, holding her stomach.

"Soul, are you alright?" Catalina questioned as she walked closer towards the older girl. Turning her head to the side, she noticed Sir Hoots-a-lot frantically shaking his head.

Groaning in pain, Soul lifted her head, giving the red-haired girl a slight glare. "I'm fine, but please leave me be."

Catalina thought for a bit if she should tell Soul about the situation, but seeing as she's already got her hands full, she decided to ask a question instead." Rapunzel and the others were just wondering how much longer till we arrive at Dale island."

"At our pace, we should be able to land there by November 15. Now please, go away!" The astrologer answered as her face contorted in a grimace of pain, clutching her stomach more. She also looked like she was about to puke again.

"Are you really sure you're alright? I can ask Lance or Raps to check on you." Catalina repeated her earlier question, scrunching her eyebrows upwards as she watched Soul's body shake.

"I'm fine. I just used most of my energy this morning, and these are just the side effects." Soul reassured, her voice hoarse. Another jolt of pain zapped her stomach, causing her to squeeze her eyes close. "Just please, leave me alone.....and yes, please call Raps for me as well."

"Hey, what's taking so long?" Eugene asked, slamming the door open, startling the two girls. "Have you asked Soul yet, Little Red?" He was also about to inform the girl about how the sails were ripped, but Catalina signaled him to keep quiet.

"She did, now leave me alooone!" The astrologer drawled out, tearing up as she clutched her stomach more. "And please call Raps!"

Suddenly appearing by the door, was the Princess Rapunzel herself. "I'm here. What's wrong?"

"Help me.." Soul pleaded.

"What for? Is everything alright? You don't look so good." The brunette questioned as she placed her hand on the girl's forehead, feeling her temperature. 

"Eugene, out!" Soul weakly growled. Eugene was about to protest when the girl sent him a sharp glare, sending shivers down his spine. He held both of his hands up as he exited the room, leaving the girls alone. "Cat, as much as I want you to stay, please leave as well."

"What? Why?" The red-haired child asked, raising a brow.

"Aside from the fact that you need to tell them my answer, I still think you're too young for this." The astrologer explained, groaning in pain every now and then. 

Catalina looked hesitant but did as she was told anyway, exiting the room as well. Once the child was gone, Raps turned to look down at Soul with a concerned expression written on her face.

"So, what do you need help with?" She asked. Soul blushed in response as she explained her situation to the older female.

\---------------------------

"So? What did she say? What do we do?" Varian asked once Catalina came out of the caravan.

"She said that we would be able to reach the island in five days." Catalina answered, standing next to her sister. Varian waited for a while, and when Catalina didn't say anything else, he raised a confused eyebrow.

"That's it?"

"That's it." 

Varian was about to lose his mind when Catalina interrupted him. "I didn't tell her about the sails if you're waiting for an answer to that."

"What? I mean, I understand why you wouldn't do it, but why didn't you tell her?" Varian asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"She looked like she's in pain, and I don't want to stress her more." The redhead replied, twirling a strand of her hair. "And I thought that maybe we could handle it. I just realized that ever since we knew the Soul could use magic, we have been relying on her too much." She added, remembering all the times Soul used her magic for their convenience. 

Everyone bashfully nodded their heads, some looked down guiltily. "Wait, she's in pain?" Varian looked at Catalina, her words just seeping into his mind.

"Yeah, she looked so pale earlier. What happened?" Eugene asked the alchemist, knowing he might have an idea.

"I think she overworked herself. She's pretty stubborn when she wants to be." He sheepishly answered.

Letting out a huge breath, Lance clapped his hands, catching everyone's attention. "Well, since we can't rely on Soul this time around. Everyone, grab anything that we can use as a paddle and start paddling. It's alright if we don't reach the island by the 15th, as long as we can reach it before the peak." He then looked at the animals. "If you guys could help, that would be great."

Saluting, Ruddiger, Pascal, Flick, and Hoots scurried off to find some sticks as an alternative for a paddle.

Everyone else scattered as well to find something they could use. Entering the caravan, Varian made a confused expression at the scene in front of him. Soul looked terrified as she clutched her pillow in front of her face, blushing while Rapunzel was explaining something to her.

"What's going on? Catalina and Eugene said that you were sick. How are you feeling now?" He asked as he walked closer to the ladies. At the sight of the black-haired teen, Soul covered her face with the pillow she was holding, confusing Varian even more. "What's wrong with her?" He whispered to the brunette.

Rapunzel only giggled, saying it was nothing. Varian looked at her with uncertainty before shrugging his shoulders. "Anyways, is there anything long here that I could use?"

"Use for what?" Soul timidly asked, peeking out from the pillow. The alchemist tensed up, forgetting that the astrologer wasn't informed that the caraboat stopped moving.

"Oh, um. You know to scratch my back with. " He lied, chuckling nervously. Soul gave him a curious look before pointing towards the kitchenette. 

"There's a broken fishing rod in there. You can use that." Shouting a small 'thanks' Varian grabbed the pole as he quickly went outside.

The two ladies looked watched as the alchemist zoomed out, slamming the door behind him. 

"When are you gonna tell them that you know we stopped moving?" Rapunzel questioned, giving the astrologer a playful smirk.

"I'm just gonna let them be for a while. Let me have my fun, Raps."

===========================================

"WE'RE SO SORRY, SOUL!!" Varian, Lance, and the others apologized.

"We wanted to tell you, but you were sick, and we didn't want to stress you anymore." Catalina explained.

"And It was Flick and Ruddiger's fault anyway." Eugene added. Hearing their names, the raccoon and the fox bowed their heads in shame.

"Look, it's fine, you guys, really. That's why I want to help." Soul reassured, smiling at her friends. "And thank you for worrying about me, but I'm not sick. Just...nature taking its course." She blushed, looking at Rapunzel.

"We're not allowing you to help us." Varian sternly said, crossing his arms.

"And why not?"

"Remember our promise? That you won't overwork yourself anymore?" He asked, raising a brow.

"I distinctly remember that our promise was me, not pushing myself to practice my magic." Soul replied.

"It's the same thing."

"But-"

"I'll allow you to help us after four more days. So for the time being, just rest."

Soul was about to protest again when Rapunzel whispered something in her ear. The brunette's words made Soul quiver as she shook her head. "Fine." She gave in. "But are you guys sure that you'll be alright paddling for four days?"

"We'll be alright, lil' lady. You can count on us." Lance reassured. Sighing, Soul bid them good luck before going inside the caravan to rest.

"By the way. What did she ask you, Rapunzel?" Catalina questioned, looking up at the brunette. 

Rapunzel shook her head, saying that Catalina would understand soon. Still a bit confused, the girl just shrugged it off before paddling with the others.

==================================================

"It's been four daaays. Let me heeeeelp." Soul drawled out, lying on her stomach beside the paddling alchemist. "Variaaaaan, I wanna help."

"You've been super clingy these last few days. Not that I don't mind, but are you sure you're alright?" Varian asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at the lavender-haired girl.

"I'm fine. I just want to spend time with my best friend, what's wrong with that?" Blushing, Varian averted his gaze back to the ocean, ignoring the girl's cries. 

"Variaaaaaan. We can get there much faster with my help." Soul insisted, banging her hands softly on the wooden floor.

"Varian, it's either you shut your girlfriend up or let her help us already!" Eugene shouted, quite irritated with Soul's tantrums. Apparently, none of the crew knows what was wrong with Soul, apart from Rapunzel, who refused to say anything. Everyone else (Minus Varian, Rapunzel, and Catalina) was close to throwing the girl off the ship, finding her mood swings difficult to deal with.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Varian shouted back with apple cheeks. Yet.... Sighing, the alchemist looked down at the lavender-haired girl, who was looking up at him with big eyes. "Fine, you can help us now."

Soul cheered, jumping up and down before falling to her knees, clutching her stomach. "Oww..."

"Are you alright?! What's wrong? What hurts? I mean, your stomach, I assume, but-"

"Varian, I'm fine." She grunted, standing up. "Now, let's try that wind spell."

"Wind spell? Since when did you learn wind spells? Is this why you were so overworked??" Varian angrily questioned, crossing his arms.

"Weeeell, ever since I realized that I don't know how to use any air spells, I've been practicing them discreetly." Soul sheepishly replied, avoiding the alchemist's eyes. "It's a good thing I did, right?"

"What am I going to do with you, Soul?" He breathed out, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Love me? She thought. "Don't worry! Unlike the water spells, I can use air spells perfectly fine. It doesn't take much energy." Soul entered the caravan, climbing up to the roof. "Everyone stop paddling and hang on tight." 

The group dropped their makeshift paddles as they individually gripped on something. "How is the wind gonna help us when the sails are torn?" Kiera asked, looking up at the roof. 

"We're floating on water via a balloon. It'll work!" Soul clasped her hands together before holding them out in front of her. "Ventus Deinceps!" 

Nothing happened at first, but after a few seconds the wind started to pick up, and the caraboat started to move. After a few more minutes, the caraboat was smoothly moving as if it still had sails.

"Woohoo! I told you I should have helped sooner." The astrologer smugly said, giving the alchemist a playful smirk. Varian rolled his eyes in response as he shook his head before giving the girl a proud smile. "Let's pick up the pace, shall we?"

"What?"

"VENTUS DEINCEPS!"

"SOUL, NO!!!!"

"SOUL, YES!!!"

==========================================

By nightfall, the crew safely had landed on Dale Island....well, as safely as they could. After all, it was pretty hard to stop a boat that was riding in the wind. Literally.

"That was fun!" Soul chirped, not minding her messy hair as she hopped off the caraboat.

"Land! Sweet land!" Eugene dramatically yelled as he got off the boat, kissing the sand in delight. Everyone else sluggishly got off the boat, panting and catching their breaths.

"Soul, we love you. We really do. But this week? We were resisting the urge to throw you off the deck. And this. THIS takes the cake!" Kiera angrily shouted at the astrologer. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't." The older girl apologized. "At least we're still alive, right? Everyone's safe, the caravan and all of our stuff are still intact. Everything turned out well."

"That's beside the point! We could have died."

"I'm sorry, please forgive me."

"I swear, she acts like she's on that time of the month." Lance quietly commented, slowly putting the pieces together.

"So, now that we're here. Where's the temple? Or at least the guardian. I'm sure they're supposed to welcome us or something." Eugene asked, looking around the coast. 

Soul ordered Sir Hoots to fly over the island and check for any civilization nearby. In the meantime, they sat around by the beach, cooking dinner.

"I still feel like puking." Lance murmured before covering his mouth, running off.

"Soul, you're really crazy when you want to be, you know that? It was quite scary." Catalina said, watching the lavender-haired girl, who was leaning on Varian while clutching her stomach.

"I'm sorry.."

"It's all in the past now. What matters is that we're all safe and -" The sound of frantic hooting interrupted what Rapunzel was saying. 

"What did you see, Hoots?" Soul seriously asked, looking up at the owl. Sir Hoots gestured towards a direction, asking everyone to follow him. Rapunzel nodded at Soul before they followed the owl.

Sir Hoots-a-lot led them inside the jungle and through a small bridge before reaching what looked like where a tribe used to live. The place was completely deserted. The tents where the people used to live were all either destroyed or burned to the ground. There were also small traces of blood on the dirt, making the group believe that someone got hurt, or worst, killed.

"Who would do something like this?" Rapunzel voiced, looking around the small community. 

"So much for being safe." 

"It's not who would do this. It's what did this." Varian said as he examined what seemed to be a claw mark on one of the statues that was still standing. "And I think we all know the answer to that."

"Shadow beasts." Everyone chorused.

"Exactly."

"Does this mean that Pisces' guardian is dead? How are we supposed to get the orb?" Catalina asked.

"Not just that, but how are we supposed to find Pisces' temple without the guardian's help. We could still get the orb even without the permission of the guardian, but I don't think Hoots found the temple." Soul informed everyone, looking at the owl, who was perched on her arm. "I'm also worried about the shadow beasts. What if they're still here lurking around the island?"

"I think it would be safer for us to stay on the beach. Let's search the island by foot tomorrow." Rapunzel suggested. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile....

"Hello? Guys?" Lance called, looking around. "Where did everyone go?" He whimpered, sitting by the campfire where the food was still cooking. 

(Someone be moody.)


	45. Chapter 44: Where the Temple was

Three days after their arrival at Dale Island, Soul and company have yet to find Pisces' temple or any survivors from the tribe that has been destroyed. And it was the day of the peak.

Currently, the group split themselves into three more groups to explore the island, reporting back at base. The groups consisted of Eugene and Rapunzel, Lance, Catalina and Kiera, and Soul and Varian. The animals, on the other hand, were entrusted to look after the caraboat.

Focusing on the two teenagers, Soul and Varian were on the other side of the island, searching for the temple. They would have covered more land if it wasn't for SOMEONE walking so slow.

"Soul, be honest with me. Are you really sure you're alright?" Varian asked in slight annoyance as he turned to face the astrologer, clasping his hands together.

"And I am being honest with you when I say 'I'm fine'. Really, Varian. Don't worry about me." Soul reassured, shyly smiling at the boy.

"It's just you're usually the one zooming around. Also, are you normal now?" He asked again.

"Normal?" The girl echoed, tilting her head.

"You know? No more mood swings?" Varian said, before slightly taking it back. "I mean! I can handle it -pfft- obviously. What I mean is, It's just that, you see-" Soul placed a finger on the alchemist's lips, interrupting Varian's rambling and silencing him. "What?'

"Quiet. I hear something." She replied as she cautiously looked around. Soon after, the sound of growling was heard from behind them.

In instinct, Varian moved Soul behind him as they both took a step back, backing away from the bush. The alchemist grabbed a random alchemy ball from his belt pocket just in case. The two looked around anxiously, their guards up as they prepared themselves to fight if necessary. Another growl was heard, and this time it was closer than earlier. The bushes in front of them violently shook, causing the two to take a few more steps back.

"What do you think it is?" Varian quietly asked, not taking his eyes off the bush.

"I don't know... a tiger, maybe?" Soul replied, unsure what the creature is.

The bush shook again, but this time, the creature came out, revealing itself.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The two screamed as they clung to each other. Their voices reverberated throughout the whole island, causing the birds perched on the trees near them to fly away in fright.

\-----------------------------------------

Catalina looked back over her shoulder, hearing a faint scream coming from the other side of the island. "Did you hear that, Kiera?" She asked.

Kiera waited for a few seconds before shaking her head. Catalina looked back again before shrugging it off and walking quickly to catch up to Lance.

\--------------------------------------------

"What was that?" Eugene whispered, looking around cautiously.

"What was what?" Rapunzel asked as she stopped walking to look at her fiance.

"I swear, I heard something...Do you think the others are okay?" He worriedly asked, scrunching his eyebrows upwards.

Rapunzel gave him a soft smile as she clung to his arm. "Of course, they're fine! Lance and the girls can survive a thousand storms. Soul and Varian are both calm and collected. Plus, Soul has her magic, and Varian has his alchemy. There's nothing to worry about." She reassured.

"You're right." The ex-thief nodded, sighing in relief. He then took Rapunzel's hand, placing it on his cheek. "What would I do without you, Sunshine?"

"You'll always have me, Eugene." She responded before leaning in and capturing his lips with hers while Pascal bashfully hid behind her hair, turning red.

\------------------------------------------

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH- Wait!" Varian said, stopping Soul from screaming by covering his mouth with his gloved hand, gesturing to the creature that came out of the bush. "It's just a rabbit."

Soul panted, catching her breath from screaming too much. She swallowed the lump on her throat before climbing down the alchemist's back. "Of course, it was just a rabbit. I knew that." She coughed as she turned her head away, hiding her reddened cheeks.

"Huh. But that growl couldn't have come from that rabbit, right? I mean, do rabbits even growl?" Varian mumbled, placing a hand under his chin, going on his rambling mode when he felt a tug on his shirt.

"Varian..."

"But it couldn't have been a tiger since they only live in tropical countries. And even if it isn't snowing on this island, the temperature is still below average from where tigers usually live...."

"Varian...."

"What?" He asked, turning around to come face to face with a large shadow beast.

"RUN!" Soul shouted as they darted off the other direction, the shadow beast chasing behind them. "I think your scream led it to us!"

"My scream? Your scream was louder than mine!" He argued as he dodged a few stray branches and vines. He looked back a bit to notice the girl slowing down, the shadow beast not so far behind them. "Soul!? Are you crazy? This is not the time to be running like a snail!"

"Snails don't even run!" Soul shouted back, trying to pick her pace, finding it difficult because of her slight predicament. Out of all the times when we were traveling, why now? She thought, closing her eyes when a sudden jolt of pain from her stomach suddenly hit her.

Varian noticed her pained expression, so he ran back to her, picking her up in his arms before running rapidly. "Don't worry. I got ya!" He declared, not taking his eyes off in front of him, which the girl was slightly thankful for because there was no way that she could hide her red face.

"Can you even manage to outrun him while carrying me?" Soul asked with uncertainty, peaking behind his shoulders to see the shadow beast not too far behind them.

"As long as I can keep this pace, I can. Enough worrying about me though, what's a shadow beast doing out and about in the daylight?!" He asked back, jumping on a log before turning left. Varian made sure to take the routes he wasn't familiar with, hoping to lead the shadow beast away from the others and the camp. "I'm pretty sure that those shadows disperse in the light."

"I'm not sure. This is the first time I've encountered a shadow beast in broad daylight." Soul answered. She looked up to look at the alchemist, noticing all the sweat dripping from his face as he struggled to catch his breath from running nonstop. "Varian-"

"No! I'm fine. I know you're in pain, so don't try to hide it." His words made the girl look down in guilt. "I don't really know why you're not telling us what's wrong with you, and by doing that, you're honestly breaking our promise. I should be upset, and I want to be upset! But I can't. I can't bring myself to be upset with you. " He confessed, not looking at Soul. "Not with you.."

"Varian.." Soul didn't want to keep her situation a secret, but admitting it to Rapunzel was already embarrassing enough, and she was a girl! How more embarrassing would it be if she admitted it to a boy, not to mention her crush? I'll tell him later... She said in her mind.

Varian was sort of lost in his mind, slightly forgetting what he was doing. He didn't mean to unintentionally spill his feelings out while they were running for their lives. It was just so sudden. Even though it wasn't a full confession since he didn't really say the words, and he was sure that Soul didn't even get what he meant. But his words were true. No matter what she does that he deems annoying and irritating, he couldn't bring himself to hate her or get mad her.

Is this what love is? I'm pretty sure you don't feel things like these if it's just a crush. I know I've already gotten the gist of why I felt attracted to Soul and why I-

"VARIAN, LOOK OUT!"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Varian stopped running as he looked down. He got so lost in his train of thought that he forgot that they were running from a savage shadow beast. That he was carrying the love of his life in his arms, and that he was about to kill the both of them by almost running straight towards a cliff.

Wait, cliff?

He then felt something vibrating. Looking down, he saw Soul hiding her face in his chest, trembling as small tears escaped her eyes.

Oh, yeah....her fear of cliffs.... Varian was about to move away from the cliff when the shadow beast finally caught up to them, blocking their only means of escape. Varian glanced from the girl in his arms to the shadow beast in front of them before looking back to the cliff. If he was just by himself, he would have jumped down, no problem. But Soul was with him and on top of that, she has very unpleasant memories regarding cliffs and jumping down from them.

This is no good...If I don't think of a way fast...I could ask Soul to attack the beast, but considering how she's still a bit weak from her constant practicing, and fire's not gonna cut it this time... damn it! He shouted in his mind, gritting his teeth as he held Soul closer to him. My alchemy won't cut it either. I could immobilize him, but with his size, my goo won't hold him for too long. Varian's eyes darted around, thinking of ways to escape, though nothing seems to come to his mind. Varian, think!

The shadow beast let out a feral growl, lunging forward, causing Varian to crouch down, shielding Soul in his arms. When the shadow beast was about to attack them, it suddenly dispersed as a large pointed stick penetrated its body. Opening an eye, Varian was confused to see that the shadow beast was gone.

"Soul...Are you alright?" He quietly asked. "The shadow beast's gone." He informed as he walked away from the cliff, placing the girl down by the roots of a tree.

"I'm alright. Are YOU alright?" Soul asked back, looking up the alchemist with big worried eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't of much help."

Varian shook his head. "It's fine. We were both under pressure. And I'm fine, just a bit tired, but, hey, at least we survived, right?" He said, giving the girl a tired smile.

He's not fine... Soul thought as she watched him examine the pointed stick that defeated the shadow beast they were running away from. Earlier, when she was still in his arms. She could hear his shallow breaths while his heart was pounding so loudly as if it was ready to come out of his chest. Soul read from somewhere that when those symptoms happen, it means that one is either panicking or stressed. Considering their earlier dilemma, that would seem to be the case.

"Where did this stick come from?" Varian quietly asked himself when an old woman with dark skin tone and a necklace of assorted teeth from different animals appeared in front of him, jumping off a vine. The alchemist let out a surprised gasp, backing away from the woman as he grabbed an alchemy ball from his belt pouch. "Who are you?"

The old woman did not answer him, and instead, she turned her head to look at the teenage girl by the tree. Varian noticed this, so he held out his arm with the alchemy ball in a more threatening way.

"Don't you even think about laying a single finger on her, you hear me?" He growled, eyeing the old woman down.

"I knew I smelt blood when you two passed by my hiding spot earlier." She declared, causing Soul to blush a dark red as she pulled her skirt down.

"Blood? Soul, were you injured?" Varian worriedly asked, dropping the alchemy ball to the ground by the old lady, trapping her in pink goo before running towards the astrologer. "Where? Why didn't you tell me?"

Soul blushed even more, not knowing how to explain this to her best friend.

"Injured? Why would she be injured? Blood flowing out from females are a part of life." The old woman questioned, causing Varian to look at her confusedly. "Are you a late bloomer, child?"

"Late bloomer? Wha- what do you mean, I- what?"

"VARIAN!" Soul shouted, startling the black-haired teen. "Seriously? I expected Eugene and the others not to catch up, but you? Really?"

"What? Catch up to what? I'm so confused." He muttered, trying to remember Soul's symptoms. Nausea....stomach ache....mood swings... "Soul, are you pregnant?" He quietly asked. As far as he knew, she didn't have any 'nono' interactions. Maybe she and Travis? No, she hated that guy's guts.

"WHAT? VARIAN, WHAT THE ZHAN TIRI! NO! I'M ON MY PERIOD, YOU DUMBO!" Soul screamed, her face red from both anger and embarrassment. How dare he think she was pregnant! That's just so absurd and impossible. She didn't even know where babies came from until Rapunzel explained them to her a few days back.

Varian finally caught on, putting the pieces together. No wonder she didn't tell him that would be really embarrassing. "Oh...I- um...I'm sorry for assuming...the other thing. Um, are you alright?" He bashfully asked.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry if I couldn't tell you what was wrong, but I hope you understand why I didn't say so."

"It's fine."

Soul shook her head, sighing before she turned to the old woman, who was still stuck in the pink goo." Um, Varian. Maybe you should free her now?"

Looking back, he let out a small 'oh' before searching his belt pouch for the neutralizing particle. "I'm um...sorry." Varian apologized as he dabbed the particle on the goo.

"My name's Soul and the one who trapped you was Varian. May we know your name?" Soul politely asked as she introduced themselves.

The woman straightened herself up before answering. "My name is Coco'hana. I am an elder from the water tribe."

"Are you talking about the tribe that got destroyed?"

"Yes. Days ago, a group of Shadow henchmen demanded to know where Pisces' temple is, but we refused to tell them. So they resulted to destroying our community. Our chief evacuated our people to Swan cove. " Coco'hana explained.

"Oh, no. I hope the guardian didn't come with them." Soul stressed, to which the old woman nodded.

"He did." Soul blankly stared straight ahead, secretly thinking of ways to track the guardian and yeet him back to the island. "But don't worry. I can vouch for him." Coco'hana added, catching Soul and Varian's attention.

"Can you do that? I mean, is that even legal?" Varian asked, raising a brow.

"Varian, we're in a dire situation, and you're thinking if it's legal."

"I don't want to be put in Zodiac cell, thank you very much." The astrologer just gave him a look before shaking her head.

"Do you know where the temple is Coco'hana?" Soul asked, standing up from her seat by the tree, setting herself next to the alchemist.

The old woman just smirked. "I don't know. Do you even have permission?" Soul looked surprised for a second before recovering, bowing her head.

"Lalo, the protector of Aquarius' temple, has given us permission to proceed here and ask your permission to enter Pisces' temple and take their orb."

"Very well." Coco'hana nodded her head as she pulled out her spear. "Follow me."

Soul and Varian grinned widely at each other before following the old lady. Their pace was a bit slow, but now that Varian knows why, he's just gonna shut his mouth and not say a word. Unless he has a death wish, of course.

The two followed the old woman to another cliff, causing Soul to comically back away as far as possible from the said cliff, asking Varian to tell her what Coco'hana says.

"So, where's the temple?" Varian asked, looking around.

"Over there. That is where the temple used to stand." The old woman said, gesturing to the middle of the sea. "Long ago, the temple used to float above the water. But then an earthquake struck the island, causing a semi-tsunami, wiping the temple down. The last ones to enter the temple were both Wisteria and Igneous."

"Then, how are we going to get the orb if the temple's gone?"

"I suspect that the temple still lives."

"Yeah, at the bottom of the sea, that is. It would have been nice if we could actually go there!" Soul shouted from afar.

Varian sweatdropped at the girl. "How in the world did she hear that?"

"Women, hear everything, dear child."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Woah! Woah! Woah! So you're saying that shadow beasts can withstand light now?" Eugene questioned with wide eyes.

"Pretty much, yeah. It isn't that hard to understand." Soul replied, checking her fingernails.

Eugene facepalmed in response, deciding to ignore the girl's retort, facing Varian and the old lady instead. "And who is she?"

"I am Coco'hana. The water tribe's elder and I will be the acting guardian since the real guardian fled with the others." Coco'hana introduced.

"Yeah, I'm calling you Coco." The ex-thief declared. "Now, where IS the temple? We've covered the whole island and not a single temple or structure to be seen."

"That's the thing. The temple has sunk in the bottom of the sea. We're still coming up with ways on how to get there." Varian said, informing the group. "Though, Soul's magic is out of the question."

"Why?" Rapunzel asked.

"You saw what happened to me when I tried to learn that one water spell. And besides, most water spells are difficult to learn. It would take weeks for witches to master them. Remember, I'm not a witch, so learning them would take much more time for me." Soul explained. "Water is a very versatile element."

The group was silent for a while before Kiera asked, "So what are we gonna do now? The peak's tonight."

"Is there no other way to get to the temple, Coco'hana?" Rapunzel asked the old lady.

"Well, it all depends if you could summon Pisces." She replied, subtly glancing at Soul. "Otherwise, you would have to swim down and find it."

===================================================================

It was night time, and Soul was sitting by the shore, watching the waves as they kiss the sand. The night sky was clear, and as much as the stars are all out shining brightly, which was perfect for stargazing, she couldn't bring herself to stargaze because a few hours later, it would be Pisces' peak. A few hours before the peak and they still don't know how to get to the temple. Coco'hana said that they could get to the temple if they summoned Pisces, but Pisces is a freaking Zodiac! A constellation! A God. How could someone summon them?

"Still stressing out on Pisces, I presume?"

Sighing, Soul nodded her head.

"May I sit with you?"

Another head nod as a response. Coco'hana sat beside the girl, watching the sea melt into the ocean from a distance. "This is a bad time to admit this, but I see bad things in your future, my dear." She admitted, not taking her eyes off the body of water.

"What do you mean?" Soul asked, turning to look at the old lady.

"There's a saying around our tribe. When a flower blooms later than the others, she will wilt first. You're a late bloomer, right?" Coco'hana asked back.

"I... Yes. I read that girls should um, be having, uh...you know, the thing when they reach 10-12 years old. I first started a few days ago. It was pretty scary. And I'm 15." Soul said in response, chuckling a bit. "But, what do you mean by bad things?"

"I have the ability to see memories, and I caught a glimpse of your future self's memories. The thing is, I can only see memories when the person dies, and I saw yours." The elder's explanation caused Soul to gasp in surprise.

"Hopefully, that future me is from the far faaaar future." Soul joked, laughing a bit, trying to lighten up the uneasy atmosphere.

Coco'hana shook her head. "It was from a few months later." Soul's face fell from the revelation. "I can't tell you exactly what happened, but it was all for good cause."

I'm gonna die...? The thought of dying never really bothered Soul before. Since her brother's death, dying was a way for her to be with her brother again. No one would remember her anyway or be sad. Maybe Flick and Hoots would be sad, but it's just...different. Maybe Xavier would get sad and remember her, but the blacksmith's old, and she was sure that she's gonna see him sooner. But this time, the thought of dying scared her. Ever since she met Rapunzel and the others and bonded with them, Soul felt a whole new reason to live. So hearing that she was gonna die so soon...

"But enough about death, you still have a peak to go to."

"Excuse me for being rude, but you can't just tell someone they're gonna die and then pretend like you've never said anything like that." Soul snapped. "And I thought you said that without Pisces' help, we can't get to the temple safely?"

"Yes."

"We don't know how to summon him. "

The old woman just laughed, "But YOU do." She grinned, revealing her broken teeth. "YOU know how to summon him."

"How?" Soul questioned.

"The stars will tell you how." Was all the woman said before leaving.

Soul scrunched her eyebrows down, analyzing what Coco'hana meant, but nothing came to her mind. Unconsciously placing a hand on her pendant, the aquamarine gem sitting in the middle of the pendant began to glow.

"Woah.." She gasped in awe as she watched her star pendant glow. Was this what Coco'hana meant? Suddenly, a laser-like beam escaped from the gem, pointing out to the sea. Soul followed the beam, squinting her eyes when she saw a faint glow coming from the bottom of the ocean. "Is that..."

Soul sprinted towards the caraboat, finding everyone already asleep. She shook Varian awake but the task was found to be impossible to do. The teen was too far off dreamland. There were even small traces of drool down his mouth, causing the girl to let out a small snicker. Waking up Lance and Eugene was also impossible since those two were also VERY heavy sleepers. Normally Soul would have gone off without telling anyone, but her promise to Varian stopped her from taking off.

"Princess. Princess! Raps!"

Rapunzel opened her eyes, waking up. "Soul? What is it?"

"I can't believe you guys slept, but I think I found the temple."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How are we gonna get there?" Catalina asked. Since Raps and Soul couldn't wake the boys, they woke up Kiera and Catalina instead.

"What's there? I don't see anything." Kiera squinted her eyes, wondering what the others were seeing.

"I don't really know..." Soul admitted, rubbing her arms, trying to heat herself up from the cold breeze.

"I don't want to suggest this, but I think Soul's the only one who can go there." Rapunzel stated, causing everyone to turn and look at the brunette as if she had three heads. "Look, the peak is near. If we can't get there in time, we lose our chance to get Pisces' orb. Even if we use the caraboat to get there, the tides would just push us back."

"Yeah....the tides are pretty restless tonight." Kiera agreed.

"But we can't let Soul go out on her own! I'll go with her." Catalina volunteered.

"Cat.."

"Please! I can turn into a wolf, remember? I can swim us there. And don't worry, my wolf self can withstand the cold." The red-haired child insisted. Soul and the others looked hesitant, but with the time ticking, they agreed.

Soul took her dress off, leaving her in her white tank top and black shorts. She tied her star pendant into a necklace, placing it beneath her tank top before she tied her hair into a low ponytail.

"Are you sure you can handle the cold in that outfit?" Rapunzel wearily asked, gesturing to Soul's outfit.

"I don't exactly have proper swimwear or winter gear, so this will make do." Soul shrugged.

"Be careful, you guys."

"We will."

Catalina turned into a wolf, jumping into the water. Soul jumped in soon after, shivering a lot when the water hit her skin. She then climbed the wolf's back before swimming towards the glow.

(MERRY CHRISTMAS MY LOVELY READERS. I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAYS. WITH MUCH LOVE, MWAH~ <3 <3)


	46. Chapter 45: The Underwater Temple

It has been 20 minutes since the two dove in the cold sea to find where the glowing came from. Since they left, Soul hasn't let go of her pendant. She was curious about what other things the pendant could do. Flashbacks played in her mind from all the times she recalled seeing the pendant glow, and most of them were when the forcefield is activated. She knew she wasn't the one doing the forcefields, so maybe her pendant was the one activating it, causing it to appear? Has it always been able to that? What more can her pendant do?

"Soul?" A voice called, snapping the lavender-haired girl from her thoughts. Soul hummed in reply, urging her friend to continue. "Are you alright? Aside from the fact that you've been staring at your necklace for quite some time now, you've also been squirming a lot." Catalina consulted.

Red tinted the older girl's cheeks as she cleared her throat. "I'm fine. It's just...I was wondering about my pendant. I never knew that it could do that before."

"Really?" Catalina's wolf ears perked up at her response.

"Yeah. To be honest, I don't really remember where this pendant came from. My brother just told me it was a gift from our parents, but his answer was hesitant. A sign that he's lying, so I don't really know if I should trust his answer or not." Soul replied, twiddling the pendant between her index finger and thumb. The pendant has been with her since she woke up one day...the day when a part of her life has been taken away from her. The day she lost all of her memories of her parents. 

"Okay, but that doesn't explain the squirming."

"That's..."

"Is it because of your period?" Soul blinked rapidly at the younger girl's question. "Earlier, I smelled blood coming from you so, I asked Rapunzel if you were alright. She was a bit hesitant at first but then she explained to me what's going on." The wolf-girl explained. "And don't worry, Kiera didn't hear."

"Um..yeah. I'm just scared I'll stain your fur." Soul sheepishly replied, scratching her cheek.

"Don't worry! The water will wash away the blood." Catalina reassured as she continued to dog paddle through the ocean. "Speaking of which, how much farther?"

"I'm sorry, just a bit longer. I thought it would be nearer since the glowing earlier seemed so near. " Soul apologized, scrunching her eyebrows upwards, concerned for the swimming wolf.

Catalina shook her head. "I can go on! I did volunteer, right? Don't worry about me."

"Alright, if you say so. Just don't be afraid to tell me if you're tired. I'll try to find a way for us if ever.

Meanwhile, in the darkest pits in limbo. A certain girl tested her powers and found that she can now touch the outside world. She opened a small screen that showed Soul and Catalina in the ocean. She evilly smirked, holding her hands out and waving them around.

"Sooooo. How are things with Varian?" Catalina teasingly asked.

"What things?" Soul asked backed.

"You know. Did you confess yeeet?" The former clarified.

"Hush, wolf child. No such thing will happen. We're still busy with Zhan Tiri and stuff. No time for romance." Soul said in a slightly deep voice, imitating an older woman she used to know when shopping in the kingdom. 

The wolf just giggled. "Alright, yeah, I so believe you."

"Quiet, you." The astrologer giggled back a reply, ruffling Catalina's fur.

They were peacefully paddling through when the waters began to act wildly as the waves began to get harsher. "That's weird." Soul quietly said, looking up at the sky, seeing no red clouds. She raised a brow in confusion. "There's no storm coming, but the waves....."

"It's getting a bit harder to swim through these waves!" Catalina informed, paddling harder. Occasionally spitting out water that manages to enter her mouth.

"Just hold on a bit longer, Cat! I'm sure we're closer anyway." Soul touched her pendant, trying to get it to glow again to check if they're close to their destination. But for some reason, it wasn't doing anything. She tried from wishing to poking the gem to do something, and still, nothing happened. "Why isn't it working?" 

The longer they stayed afloat, the more restless the tides got. It was like there was a storm with how big the waves were, but less rain. Catalina struggled to keep them both above the surface as she switched from dog-paddling to actual swimming. Meanwhile, Soul was slowly getting frustrated with her pendant. 

How did you glow earlier? "Work with us here!" She yelled at the pendant.

Catalina was about to say something when a large shadow of a wave loomed over them. "LOOK OUT!" She screamed, her wolf ears drooping down as she stared at the wave that was about to crash on them. The two girls took in a deep breath, bracing themselves as the wave came down of them, causing them to sink down from the impact.

Spitting out some water, Soul looked around for any sign of her red-haired companion. "Cat!? Catalina! Where are you?" She called, trudging around when bubbles appeared beside her, and out came the girl. "Cat!"

"I'm fine. But my energy's a bit drained, so I can't transform back into a wolf." Catalina admitted, looking down. "I'm sorry, I won't be much help now."

The younger girl's words made Soul's heart hurt a little. She gently placed a hand on Catalina's cheek, lifting her head up as she gave her a soft smile. "Hey, it's okay. You've done so much, and I'm sorry for pushing you to your limits." Soul said, reassuring her friend.

Catalina was hesitant at first, but soon she returned a soft smile of her own. She was about to thank Soul when another large wave crashed over them. The wave this time was much more bigger than the earlier one.

===============================================================

"It's beginning to look a lot like romaaaance. Everywhere we goooo~ " Varian sang, skipping and spinning around on top of some bunny shaped trees. "Everytime I hold her hand." He clasps his hands together. "She gets so shy and then, she's just so cute and I don't wanna let goooo!" 

He then began jumping down on some clouds, bouncing as he landed on the ground. "It's beginning to look a lot like romaaance. In everything we dooo~" He then proceeds to walk over a rose bush, plucking a flower off. "I give her a rose or three, it's a special meaning you see! It means I love you~"

Meanwhile, two other Varians were watching Varian act like a lovesick fool. "He's got it bad." Varian, who seems to be in odd modern clothing, commented, cringing as he watched the other version of himself.

"Leave him be. This is the only place where he lets his true feelings out." An older Varian said, smiling at his younger self. 

"I know, but this is disgusting." 

Suddenly, the surroundings changed, and Varian was now on the shore a few feet away from the caraboat. He looked around and noticed nothing any out of the ordinary...except he was wearing nothing but his swimming trunks. A completely different attire from his earlier clothes. 

"Ice cream?" A voice asked behind him. Turning around, he saw it was only Soul, holding two ice cream cones. Nothing too abnormal. Only she was wearing a cute two-piece swimsuit, complimenting her skin tone. Her twin tail hairstyle contributed to the cuteness factor of her appearance.

"Yeah, sure. Although, I'm afraid I'll get some cavities. I mean, you're looking like a sweet treat yourself." He flirted, taking one of the cones from the girl's hands. Normally, he wasn't so confident with saying something like that in real life, but this was his dream, so scram!

"Oh, don't worry. You won't." Soul responded as she sashayed her way to the ocean, looking over her shoulder occasionally to look at the teen's expression. 

What happened to her ice cream? Varian thought, but nonetheless, he was...secretly enjoying the view.

He continued to watch Soul swim into the ocean when suddenly a storm raged. "Soul?" Varian worriedly called, standing up, looking for the girl. When he didn't see her, he hurriedly made his way into the ocean, swimming to find his friend. After a while, he finally saw her floating a few feet away from him. "Soul! Hang on!" He yelled, swimming after her when she sank down into the ocean. Taking in a deep breath, he dove down to reach for her when shadows held him back. The teen struggled to break free from the shadows as he fearfully watched Soul sink down even deeper, a terrified expression on her face.

"SOUL!" He screamed, sitting up. Varian looked around and saw that he was back inside the caraboat in his sleeping bag. He panted, catching his breath as he petted Ruddiger's fur, who stirred in his sleep. "It was just a dream.." He whispered, sighing in relief. 

He stood up, opting to go outside to get some fresh air, when he noticed that a certain astrologer wasn't on her couch, along with the other girls. Hmm, maybe they're having some sort of girl talk outside? Once he was outside, Varian looked around for Soul, only to see Kiera and Rapunzel, who seems to be waiting by the ocean.

"Rapunzel? Kiera? What are you guys doing out here, and where's Soul?" He asked, looking around. Worry began to fill his entire body and mind at the absence of the lavender-haired girl. "Where's Catalina as well?"

"They went to find Pisces' temple, and it has been an hour since they've been gone." Rapunzel replied. 

"Did they take a boat?"

"No. The caraboat's not available, and with the tides are this strong, it would be a hassle to travel on." 

"What about Soul's ice spell? She can make solid shapes out of ice." Varian asked once again.

"V, as solid her ice are, it would still melt in the water." Kiera answered this time, playing with Sir Hoots' wings. "Why do you look so worried? They'll be fine. Soul said there would be no storm. She's pretty much an accurate weather forecaster."

Varian gripped his arm, his eyebrows knitting together. "It's just that...in my dream. She drowned...." Just as he said that the waves that were crashing by the shore got harsher and the winds suddenly blew harder. "Rapunzel, I think something went wrong out there."

The princess didn't reply as she stared out towards the ocean, a worried expression on her face. "Oh no, Catalina! Do you think they'll be alright, Raps?" Kiera asked, worried for her sister. 

"Of course, they're alright!" Rapunzel reassured, giving the child a side hug. "I hope so.." She said in a whisper.

=====================================

Soul swam up, trudging waters as she looked around once again to find Catalina. Looking to her left, she spotted the red-haired girl floating and barely awake before sinking down. She sucked in a deep breath before diving down and going after the girl.

Meanwhile, in the limbo, the little girl snapped her fingers as shadows came to her at her command. "Make sure to take them out of the picture." At her words, the shadows exited the limbo and into the outside world. The little girl laughed as she watched Soul swimming down to get Catalina. "Two down, five more to go. Soon, Corona would be sorry that they ever tried to break free from me."

Hang on, Cat. I'm gonna get you. I promise! Soul thought as she continuously swam down, trying to reach for the red-head girl. But every time her fingertips would brush the child's hand, Catalina would sink even deeper like some unknown force was pulling her down. It was getting harder to catch the younger girl since Soul was slowly running out of breath, and she couldn't swim up or else it would be too late to rescue Catalina. 

She swam down harder, forcing herself to catch up to the girl.

No...

She tried reaching out once more.

I can't..

Black spots started to appear, and her vision was starting to get blurry.

Hold on....

And just like that, Soul released the last bit of breath she was holding. Air bubbles came out of her mouth as her body floated underwater. The moonlight reflecting through the water shone over her. She tried to keep herself awake and swim up, but alas, Soul's consciousness gave up on her, and the last thing she saw was her pendant glowing before passing out.

Anymore....

She tried to keep herself awake and swim up, but alas, Soul's consciousness gave up on her and the last thing she saw was her pendant glowing before passing out.

Pisces.....

The shadow henchman released their hold on Catalina's ankles, snickering as they left. The little girl in the limbo began laughing harder and louder until Soul's pendant glowed so brightly, encasing the two girls in white light. The little girl looked at her screen quizzically, watching the events when two large fishes appeared from the light. They were both colored blue, although the lighter blue seemed to be female, and the darker blue seemed to be male. 

"What are these...." The little girl gasped loudly when she noticed the markings on the fishes' forehead. "Pisces' symbol... But how?!" She angrily barked, clenching her fist.

The female fish connected her forehead, where her mark was onto Soul's forehead, the male one doing the same to Catalina. Their marks glowed at the same time, and soon after, the two girls woke up, catching their breaths.

"No!!!! NOOOO!!!" The little girl screamed as she furiously wiped the screen away. Walking off to call more shadow henchmen. "Get the orb! Don't let them take it! GO!"

"Soul?" Catalina called, looking at the fishes. "Is this real? Are we not dead?"

"No, I don't think so." Soul replied, floating in place as she stared at the female fish when she noticed the mark on its forehead. "Pisces?" She whispered, touching her pendant.

"This is so cool! We can breathe underwater!" The child exclaimed, playing with the male fish. "These are cool fishes as well. I've never seen a fish this big. I don't think they're sharks or whales, so what are they?"

"They're Pisces." Soul answered, smiling widely. "Pisces saved us. Thank you." She said, bowing her head as the female Pisces bowed in return. 

"Do you think they could lead us to the temple?" Catalina asked, riding the male fish's back. At her suggestion, the female Pisces nodded its head, gesturing for Soul to ride her back.

"Well, it looks like they could." The latter replied, laughing as she got onto the fish's back. Once she got settled, the two fishes swam fast, causing Soul and Catalina to tighten their hold on the fishes' scales. "YEEHAW!" Soul cheered as they sped through schools of fishes, turtles, and the sleeping shark, which they suddenly went silent at.

Soon after, they reached the ruins of the temple, glowing in all it's glory as Soul's pendant glowed at the same time. "Woah!" Catalina awed. 

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" 

They entered the temple with Pisces leading them to the throne room where the orb was still thankfully sitting. Soul looked at the female Pisces, who nodded its head before getting off and swimming towards the orb, touching it. And like always, the orb glowed as Pisces' symbol flashed before cascading into teal sparkles.

"Eight orbs down, four more to go!" She cheered, turning around to face the others, hugging the orb close to her body.

"Woah! You match with Varian now." Catalina said, confusing Soul.

"What do you mean?" Soul asked, tilting her head to the side.

Catalina gestured to Soul's hair. "Your white hairstreak turned teal." Soul checked her hair, and it was indeed teal until it faded into white again. 

"I never noticed how my white hair streaks would turn into a specific color when collecting the orbs. Must be a side effect." She said, shrugging it off. "Let's head back now. I'm sure the others are worried."

"Are you not going to check the Memoria Vitris?" Catalina questioned.

"It's fine. I don't see the flower anywhere anyway." Soul replied, climbing up the female Pisces' back when the orb was swooped away from her arms. "The orb!"

Looking up, they saw it was a shadow henchman who took the orb. "We've got to go after it!" Catalina suggested, earning a nod of agreement from Soul. The Pisces swam up, easily catching up with the henchman. "Can you use your magic, Soul?"

"I can't! We're underwater. My fire magic won't work." 

"What about the butterflies?"

"It won't work as well. They might be magic butterflies, but they work like real butterflies. They won't survive underwater." Gritting her teeth, Soul racked her brain for any other option to get the orb when a sound came out of the Female Pisces before it blasted a glowing bubble towards the shadow.

"Woaah!" The two awed as they stared at the fish. 

"They make sounds!?"

"They can shoot bubbles?!"

Soul looked at Catalina, raising an eyebrow at the girl as the latter just gave her a sheepish smile.

"They've been silent the whole time. I thought they couldn't make any sounds." Catalina explained as Soul shook her head, smiling at the younger girl's antics. 

"I've got a plan! Pisces, can you shoot those glowing bubbles towards the shadow henchman more? I need it caught off guard. If you can disperse it, that would be much greater." The astrologer instructed as the two fishes gave a sound of agreement, shooting more bubbles towards the shadow. "Let's do this!"

======================================

"They're still not back! Maybe we should wake up Eugene and Lance and look for them?" Varian frantically suggested, having enough of pacing back and forth, waiting for his friends to come back. He just couldn't stand idly by, especially with the nightmare he had. 

"You're right, come on, Kiera. Let's go wake up the two." Rapunzel instructed when Coco'hana appeared.

"Have faith in them for Pisces has blessed them a savior." She stated before sitting criss-cross on the sand. 

"What do you mean?" Varian asked, glaring at the old woman. Coco'hana didn't say anything, instead, she pointed towards the ocean. He raised an eyebrow at the woman when he heard Rapunzel and Kiera cheer. Turning around, he squinted his eyes towards the ocean to see Soul and Catalina riding two large fishes, the orb in the former's hands. "What?"

"Catalina! I was so worried!" Kiera shouted, jumping up to hug her sister when the two finally reached the shore. "And what are these? Are they whales?" She asked, gesturing to the large fish.

"Isn't this Pisces' symbol?" Rapunzel asked, examining the symbol on the female Pisces' forehead. 

"Yeah. I have no idea how they were summoned, but they saved us from drowning, and they lead us to the temple. We're really grateful for them because of that." Soul replied, petting the fish's scales.

Rapunzel's eyes widened. "You two drowned?" She loudly asked, causing Varian and Kiera's ears to perk up.

"Almost. But then they appeared, and saved us."

"It was so cool! We were breathing underwater." Catalina said, making hand motions as she explained what happened underwater.

"But we're fine, we're all go-"Soul's sentence got cut off as Varian pulled her in for a hug. Not minding her wet clothes probably drenching his as well. "Varian? What's wrong?"

Varian didn't say anything as he just hugged the girl tightly, soft sniffles coming from him. "He had a nightmare. It was about you drowning and how he failed to save you. He hasn't calmed since we told him how you and Catalina went into the ocean to find the temple." Rapunzel explained, causing Soul's eyes to go wide in surprise.

"He was so worried. We all were." Kiera added, speaking up. "At first, I didn't mind it until you two haven't gone back yet. I was scared. Varian said something might have gone wrong and, I was so scared. Catalina's the only thing I have left, and hearing now with how close I was to losing her I-" The black-haired girl struggled to continue her sentence as she broke down crying. A sight not normal for everyone since she always acted so tough.

"Kiera..." Catalina trailed off, tearing up as well. She then hugged her sister as they cried in each other's hold. 

"I was so scared!" Kiera cried, sobbing into her sister's wet shirt.

"I'm so sorry! I promise I won't scare you like that anymore." 

The two children crying broke Rapunzel and Soul's heart. Especially Soul, since it was her who agreed to bring the older sister along despite the danger. 

"I thought my nightmare came true." Varian whispered, catching Soul's attention. "It felt so real. We were just having fun, and then, shadow henchmen pulled you underwater, and when I jumped in to save you, they held me back. I watched you die."

I watched you die.. I saw your memories. I can only see the memories of dead people.. Coco'hana's words echoed in Soul's head. 

"And like Kiera said. Hearing now that you did almost drown, I.... I don't know what I'll do if that really happened. I-" 

"Shhh.. I'm here now. I'm sorry I keep almost dying on you these past few days." Soul apologized, placing a hand on Varian's cheek, caressing it gently as well as wiping off some tears.

Varian cried more as he snuggled his cheek onto the girl's hand. "And I hope you'll stop doing that. The moment you die on me, I'll bring you back to life and kill you myself." He joked, his voice cracking here and there.

"Yeah, about that." Soul breathed out, looking down, not meeting the alchemist's eyes.

"What do you mean?" He asked, trying to conceal his terrified expression.

"Coco'hana said how she could see the memories of dead people. And she saw my future self's memories." She admitted, causing Varian's eyes to go wide. 

"No! I won't let that happen!" He declared, taking Soul's hands in his, gripping them tightly. "I won't let you die, not on my watch. I PROMISE, I'll save you every time. I won't stop at anything just to keep you alive. I PROMISE you that."

Butterflies fluttered in Soul's stomach, her eyes sparkling from Varian's declaration. Small tears filled the brim of her eyes as she nodded her head. "Then I hope you don't mind me putting my life in your hands?"

Varian smiled. "You can trust me with your life." And maybe your heart as well.... He gazed into Soul's powder blue eyes, and he swore he saw the stars in them. Her eyes were like the summer sky with not a cloud dusting them. He could get lost in them, and he'd be thankful that no one would be able to find him. Out of all her features, Soul's eyes were his most favorite. They were just so honest, not a hint of lies, only the truth. Varian moved a strand of her hair, placing it behind her ear, slowly leaning down, glancing at her lips.

Soul was grateful that it was nighttime, or else her red face would have been much more evident, displayed for the whole world to see. Is this it? Should I lean in? OHMYDEMANITUS HELP ME! HE'S SO CLOSE! She panicked in her mind as Varian slowly leaned closer to her. Allowing it to happen, Soul closed her eyes, preparing herself. 

a few more meters and....

"Hey? What's with the waterworks Angry, Red?" Eugene shouted from the caravan, startling the two, causing them two pull away from each other. "Man, you guys were so loud. Don't you guys know there are people sleeping?"

"Perfect timing, Flynn." Varian silently growled through his teeth, glaring at the man. Meanwhile, Soul was slightly thankful the man interrupted them. As much as she wanted the kiss to happen, she just wasn't ready yet. Plus, if they were to kiss, it would bring problems since they would sure get distracted, and it would be harder to keep professionalism. What? They are still on a quest, you know. Corona's safety comes first.

"He's quite the party crasher, huh?" Soul commented with blushing cheeks.

"Heh, yeah." Varian awkwardly chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. 

"I'm heading back to the caravan to get my clothes and change into much warmer clothing. Well, as warm as my dress can get." The girl informed, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

"Oh, um, yeah, sure. Go ahead."

"Thanks. Catalina! You should go change into a-" 

"Shhhh! They're asleep." Rapunzel said, shushing the astrologer, gesturing to the sleeping children.

"She'll catch a cold in her clothing." Soul quietly said, shaking her head before going towards the caraboat, while Varian stared at her figure disappearing into the room. 

"Great, you made things awkward now, Varian." He scolded himself, kicking a stray pebble in the sand.

Meanwhile, Coco'hana was standing between the two Pisces fish, watching the two teenagers' interaction. "Poor children. You can't escape the Memoria Vitris." She said, her eyes glowing blue before Pisces disappeared.


	47. Chapter 46: Once a Flower

Early morning, Varian sat alone on the caraboat's roof as he listened to the waves crashing on the shore. The winter sea breeze ruffling his hair and the early morning sun kissing his skin. Despite being on a tropical island, you can still feel winter coming close. He sighed as he looked towards the horizon. After what happened last night, he couldn't bear to sleep again, afraid that he'll have another nightmare and predict another near-death experience. Aside from that, the thought of almost kissing Soul raced through his mind. He was so into the moment that he forgot what he was doing. He just hoped he hadn't ruined his friendship with the girl.

But wait...She didn't pull away..Varian thought. His eyes widening in realization. She even closed her eyes and waited...Di-did she...no..that's too absurd. Maybe she didn't know what else to do, so she just planned to go with the flow. Yeah..that's probably it. 

"Man, how can I face her now?" He breathed out, sighing.

"Hoot!" The sound of hooting snapped Varian out of his thoughts. He looked out below since he didn't see the owl near him and saw Soul walking along the shore, Sir Hoots and Flick walking with her. The girl had a conflicted expression on her face, her eyebrows scrunching upwards as she fiddled with her pendant. Varian wanted to come down to her and ask her what's wrong. Take her mind off from what's been bothering her, but he felt somewhat scared. What if she avoids him again? After all, Soul did have a tendency to avoid him when he's done something that upsets her. But that won't happen, right? She did promise that if he did something, she would tell him instead of ignoring him. Nevertheless, Varian just watched her play around with her animal companions, smiling softly at how she omitted a different glow from when he first met her.

Meanwhile, with Soul, she was in a semi-sour mood since Flick and Hoots woke her up early just to bug her to take a walk. Have they not noticed that their human friend is in need of sleep and is close to dying from not sleeping too much? 

"Bark!" "Hoot!" Flick barked, and Hoots hooted, looking up Soul with their big eyes. Yeah, with their cuteness, Soul had a bit of trouble saying no to them, so off they went. 

While walking down the shore, Soul took the time to examine her pendant again. She was sure that it was her pendant that summoned the Pisces fish. As far she knew, her magic can't really do anything like that, and even if it could, she wouldn't be able to cast it because of the amount of energy needed. Aside from that, she thought about how the pendant's magic worked. She now knows two- three things about it: It glows, it summons forcefields and fishes. Okay, two things. And it protects her from dying. Okay, three. She knows three things. 

SPLASH

A sudden splash in the face snapped Soul out of her thoughts, and the snickering of her animal companions can be heard. Flick was rolling around in the sand while Sir Hoots-a-lot was covering his beak with his wing. 

"Very funny, you guys." Soul said as she stared at the two with an unamused expression. Flick flicked his tail in the water, splashing the girl in the face again before running off. "You! Come back here!" She shouted, chasing the mischievous fox. After a while of playing with the two, Soul felt someone watching her. On instinct, she turned around to look at the caraboat and saw Varian. 

Their eyes met, and for a second, it was like time has stopped, and the only ones that existed were them. Varian backed away from his spot a little bit, shyly waving at the girl. Soul waved back before looking away as she tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. She sneaked a glance at the male before turning around and returning to her walk in an attempt to hide her red face after remembering last night's events.

Varian watched the girl walk away as he sighed, leaning on the fence of the roof when he heard chittering beside him, who turned out to be Ruddiger. Petting the raccoon's fur, he looked at him with sad eyes. "What am I gonna do now, bud?"

============================================

"Who are they?" Rapunzel whispered to Soul, who looked as equally confused as the brunette. 

"I don't know...but I think they're from the tribe Coco'hana's in." The girl answered as she looked at the dark-skinned people with outfits similar to what the Elder was wearing. 

"Coco'hana, we have received your eagle. Is the shadow beast dead really?" The man with the most tattoos on his body and a large headpiece spoke in a heavy accent.

Coco'hana nodded her head. "Yes, they are, and they won't be bothering our village anymore. Thanks to this young girl." She said, grabbing Soul's wrist and pulling the girl towards her and placing her in front.

"Um, I didn't do it alone, you know." Soul sheepishly replied, smiling a bit. The man confusedly looks at Coco'hana before looking down at Soul, instantly recognizing her pendant.

"Is that?!" He loudly questioned, stepping back. 

"It is." The woman replied, placing a finger over her lips. 

The man straightened himself up before bowing. "I am Mi'lo. The chief of the tribe of Pisces, also known as the water tribe." 

"I'm Soul. Soul Rivers, sir. Uh...are you the guardian for Pisces' temple?" Soul introduced and asked at the same time, bowing at the man.

"Yes. I am. I am deeply sorry for not being here during and before the peak." Mi'lo apologized.

"It's alright. No harm done." The girl replied, remembering the time she thought of yeeting the guardian back to the island. 

"As the chief, I like to ask you and your group if you like to stay in village until tomorrow?" He asked with hopeful eyes. "We like to thank you for saving tribe from shadow beast."

"I- um. Sure! But, I didn't beat the shadow beast. It was Coco'hana. I was pretty useless back then, heh. " Soul answered, scratching her cheek. "And, we couldn't have defeated the other shadow beasts without Pisces' help."

"Still! Please come! You and your friends are welcome." Mi'lo insisted. Soul looked back at the group, who all agreed. Mi'lo notices they're response as he grinned. "Then it's settled! Once we start rebuilding the tents, a feast will be held!" 

Soul just smiled at the man, watching him toss around orders to his people. The people of the tribe were all fast builders. It was like they have been doing it for a long time. They were quick to their feet and fixed up the village faster than she thought they would.

"This island is always hit with minor tsunamis and earthquakes due to the underwater volcano. That's why the people are so used to rebuilding everything in such a short time." Coco'hana explained. 

"Then why don't you guys move?" Eugene asked, hearing the old lady.

"Even if we want to, this whole island is sacred. All of Pisces' guardians and followers live here, and as guardians, we will continue to serve and protect Pisces at all costs. But when we do really need to, we flee to Swan cove."

"That's really noble of you all." Rapunzel commented, smiling.

"It is what we are." 

=================================================================

Cheers and music playing resounded throughout the night. Everyone was celebrating that the shadow beast was gone and defeated. Eugene and Lance were drinking coconut juice with some of the people. Rapunzel was with some of the kids who were face painting, Pascal entertaining some of them. Kiera and Catalina were dancing by the bonfire, and Varian's showing some of the villagers his alchemy so they can have advanced protection from other threats. 

"The Pisces fish appeared? As in the real Pisces fish?" Mi'lo asked in surprise. He, Soul, and Coco'hana were all talking by the chief's throne in the middle of the festivities. 

"Yes. I was surprised as well when they appeared. " Soul said, laughing a bit before caressing her pendant. "But I guess it has something to do with my pendant..."

Coco'hana and Mi'lo exchanged knowing looks as they continued to listen to the girl's story of what happened before and during they went to find the temple. 

"It's such a shame, though. There wasn't a Memoria Vitris in the temple. I...wanted to see how Wisteria and Igneous found the temple. I mean, I know you said they were the last ones to enter before it sunk but...I don't know. The more I see them, the more I just strangely want to see more of them." She admitted, looking up at the two. "Is that weird?"

Mi'lo cleared his throat before standing up, gesturing to the two to follow him. Varian, who was in the middle of showing a citizen how to use the alchemy ball noticed Soul, Coco'hana, and Mi'lo going towards the forest. Curious about where they were going this late at night, he bid a small goodbye to the group of people he was talking to before going after the three. He followed them through the cliff Coco'hana showed them before, and upon seeing Soul shake like a leaf at the sight of her worst fear, he decided to show himself.

"Soul!" He called, pulling the girl away from the cliff. "Are you okay?"

"I'm...fine. But yeah, no cliffs, please." Soul requested, looking sheepishly at the two guardians. "And uhm, what are we doing here- wait, before that. Varian, what are you doing here?"

"Uhm..I saw you and the chief going somewhere, and I guess I just got worried." Varian replied, his cheeks red. "I mean, can you blame me? I just got scared and thought, what if they were shadow henchmen?"

Soul smiled at the boy, happy that he was worried about her. "We are not, don't worry. As for why we are here, you said you wanted to see the Memoria Vitris, no?" Mi'lo said, asking Soul.

"Yeah." She looked around. "Where is it?"

Coco'hana stepped forward. Her hands outstretched in front of her. Soul and Varian looked at each other weirdly when Coco'hana's hands glowed brightly, and mist surrounded her. The mist got wider and wider until it enveloped everyone in it. 

"What is with this mist? And are you actually producing it?" Varian questioned, squinting his eyes towards the old lady, struggling to see from all of the mist.

"Shhh! Just watch." Mi'lo said, smiling widely. The two went silent, thinking what was going on when a scene played in front of them, the mist acting as a screen.

It was night time. Wisteria was gazing out towards the ocean. Her hair fluttering in the wind.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay out here longer. Come on, let's go back inside." Igneous stated, placing his coat over the woman's shoulders. 

"I was just thinking....what if we're too late? We've been gone for almost a year. What if by the time we get back she's-" 

"Hey. Our daughter's a tough girl. She won't lose." Igneous reassured, wiping the tears off the woman's face.

"Is she...Are they?" Realizing who these people were, Varian looked at Mi'lo with wide eyes, who in turn nodded his head.

"But what if we are? What if she's already gone, and Gold is just having a hard time contacting us and..." Wisteria broke down crying. Falling onto the sand. "What did we do to deserve this? What did Vrxo to deserve this? She was just a child!"

"Sometimes....life is just unfair like that, Wisteria. Even if we were to be the kindest people on Earth, we would still experience pain and suffering." He said with a blank expression, kneeling next to his wife.

Wisteria didn't say anything as she just cried in the man's arms, her husband watching her cry. He really couldn't say anything else, afraid that maybe he'll break as well. But deep down, Igneous knew that he was already broken the day he knew that his daughter's time was running out. "The Stardust doesn't grant resurrection....I just want to hug my baby again.." 

"I know, my love...me too."

The scene then changed to reveal a younger Chief Mi'lo, instructing Coco'hana to guide the couple towards the temple. Soul awed at the temple's structure. It was even more beautiful than it was underwater. The entrance had an arc with two crossed fishes, and there were a lot of shells decorating the interior. Upon collecting Pisces' orb, Wisteria and Igneous thanked Coco'hana before leaving the island.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Coco'hana asked as all of the mist dispersed. 

"Woah, what was that?! How did you do that?" Soul questioned, shocked at what the tribe elder did. "And...why did you look the same all those years ago? It's like you haven't aged."

Mi'lo chuckled. "Coco'hana didn't use to be the elder, nor was she a human..."

"What?"

"I am the Pisces Memoria Vitris." The old woman revealed, causing the two teenagers to step back in shock.

"How is that possible? But Memoria Vitrises are crystallized flowers, so how-?" 

"It's the same with the Stardust. If it can be human, we can too." That was all Coco'hana said, cutting Varian off.

"I feel bad for Wisteria and Igneous. I hope they managed to save their daughter." Soul said, looking down. 

"...They did.." Varian answered, sadly looking at her. Soul looked at him with a questioning look, to which he shook his head and asked her to shrug off what he said.

"Go back to the village, you two. I have placed fireflies earlier when we came here. You two can use it as your guide." Coco'hana instructed. "Me and Chief Mi'lo have some things we need to talk about."

"But um, before we go. Can I ask you something Chief Mi'lo?" Soul spoke up. The man nodded his head, allowing her to continue. "Is it true? That your tribe has a saying?"

"All tribes and people have sayings, child. You need to be more specific." Mi'lo chuckled.

"You know, the ' When a flower blooms later than the others, she will wilt first.'? It's just....I'm sort of scared now. I'm a late bloomer and-"

"Who told you that saying?" Mi'lo asked, his tone filled with seriousness and his expression hard.

"I did." Coco'hana admitted. Mi'lo straightened himself, glaring at the woman. "Leave us be now, you two. And Soul, forget that saying. It is not true."

"What are -"

"Go!" With that, Soul and Varian ran off. 

Silence hung above the two as none of them uttered a word.

"You know she's bound to learn sooner or later." Coco'hana spoke. "She cannot escape the Memoria Vitris. No one can."

"I'm just worried...."

"Don't be. She will be fine."

==============================

"That was weird, right?" Varian asked as he and Soul walked along the shore. Instead of going back to the party, they decided to take a break from the crowd and just walk in peace by the beach. "And, wow! Is that what you always see when you watch a Memoria Vitris- Soul?" He called, seeing the girl lost in thought.

"Oh, um.. what?" 

"Are you okay?" Varian softly asked, turning his body to face her. "You know you can tell me, right?"

"I know. It's just. What if I really die? I don't want to leave you guys so soon.." Soul admitted, looking down.

"Hey, I thought we talked about this last night? I'm not letting you die." At the mention of last night, both teenagers turned pink, looking away from each other. "I, uhm, ahem...Uh, I'm sorry about that..I was just..um, just got caught up in the moment."

"It's alright." Soul replied, looking up at the male. Sometimes it pays to be small. From down there, she could perfectly see his face from the small freckles that dotted his cheeks and nose, to his chubby cheeks. A feature of him that made him look so soft and cuddly. She also noticed how his hair flowed in the wind. How the moon seemed to make his teal hair stripe glow. The moonlight highlighted his features, and that alone made Soul stare at him. I'm almost always with him and whenever I looked at him he always looks the same, but...looking at him now? I never noticed how good-looking he is...

"Is everything okay? You kind of zoned out again, heh." Varian asked, shyly chuckling.

The girl blushed even harder, looking away. "Yeah." 

They continued to walk down the shore when they reached a certain spot where the moon can be fully seen.

"Hey, Varian?"

"Yeah?"

.

.

.

.

.

.

"The moon is beautiful, isn't it?"

.

.

.

.

"Yeah...It is.."


	48. Chapter 47: A Da- Yes. A Hang Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A semi-filler chapter⭐

"I wish you luck in getting the next orb. Aries' guardian is a bit odd. They ask a lot of questions before they give you permission. Very weird person, that guardian." Mi'lo said, shaking his head. "Not only that, but their temple is very hard to get to."

Coco'hana nodded in agreement. "Aries' temple sits on top of Mount Ina. Luckily, the previous guardians have built a path up the mountain. But with the blizzards that occur during winter prove it even harder to get to."

"We wish you good luck in your quest." 

"Thank you very much, Chief Mi'lo. And don't worry. We will." Rapunzel said, thanking the man as she bowed her head in respect. Mi'lo did the same before turning to Soul. His smile faltering into a serious expression.

"Young Soul. I advise you to forget what Coco'hana said. It is not true. Do not fret. Okay?" He said. Soul hesitated for a bit before nodding her head reluctantly. "Good."

"Ugh! It's been days! Instead of NOT thinking about it, I end up thinking about it anyway!" Soul groaned, leaning on Kiera's back as the girl was playing cards with her sister and Varian.

"You're still thinking about that? It's been five days, just forget about it." Kiera asked in surprise, placing a card down, smirking at her competitors.

"It's hard to forget about it when it involves your death." 

"Soul, we've been over this. I told you, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. You trust me, right?" Varian questioned, sighing.

"I do, it's just. I just can't shake off the feeling." Soul replied as she got off Kiera's back, lying down on her stomach next to the girl, watching her friends play an unfamiliar card game. If they played another game, she would have joined, but this game was new to Soul, so she just watched them instead of joining in.

You see, while the adults were busy stirring the caraboat and making sure they don't get off the direction, the minors were left inside doing whatever they want to do. 

"You need to relax. Chill. Take your mind off things." Kiera suggested.

"How?" The girl in question asked, raising a curious brow.

"Well, I take my mind off things by punching people. Not only does it make a very effective stress relief, but it also allows me to train myself. Pretty neat, huh?" Kiera answered, punching the air as she accidentally hit Varian in the process.

"I think you should find a new stress reliever, Kie. That's not healthy." Varian winced a bit as the black-haired girl's knuckles came in contact with his shoulder. Kiera only shrugged in response, not bothering to apologize.

"I draw to take my mind off something. It's really effective for me, and it helps me practice my drawing." Catalina piped up, placing a card down and taking one from the deck, pouting as she saw the card's contents.

"That's actually quite impressive, Cat. Good for you." Soul commented as the red-headed girl blushed bashfully from the compliment.

"Why don't you invent stuff to take your mind off things? Or maybe knit more? Read? Oh! Or maybe take the time to learn more alchemy? I can teach you more techniques if you want." Varian suggested. His eyes were sparkling with excitement.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Var. I'm not that enthused in Alchemy as you are. Your efforts and time would just go to waste." Soul answered, sighing sadly.

"Time spent and efforts wasted on you are not a waste at all..." He quietly stated, but alas, the others still heard it.

"T-thank you. But um, still. It's fine." Soul replied, her cheeks mirroring the alchemist's red ones. "Maybe next time, though?"

Varian nodded as he returned his focus on the game that they were playing, losing horribly in the end.

"You cheated!" He shouted, accusing the youngest Schnitz sibling.

"No, I did not!" Kiera shouted back.

Soul moved to lay down on her couch, stroking Flick's fur as the fox layed down on her stomach when the caraboat violently shook.

"Fellas, we have arrived on land!" Eugene announced as cheers erupted from everyone.

"Now, before we proceed to Mount Ina, we would be stopping by Aurora Village first." Rapunzel informed as the men turned the caraboat back to its land vehicle state.

"What, why?" 

"Aside from restocking our supplies, Soul mentioned before that she doesn't have any winter gear, so we'll be buying her one as well." 

"Can't I just go in my normal outfit? " The teenage girl requested, clasping her hands together as she put on her puppy eyes.

"Sorry, but Mi'lo and Coco'hana's right. The mountains are dangerous during winter. If you want to survive, you'll need proper gear." At this, Soul slumped her shoulders before lazily leaning back on the couch as she crossed her arms. Rapunzel laughed as she ruffled the girl's hair, walking back outside to see if she can help.

A few minutes later, the caravan was back to being a caravan and was back on land. "Next stop, Aurora Village! Oh, man, I can't wait to eat those cream puffs again. I missed that creamy sweet goodness." Eugene cheered before pulling on the reins, making the caravan move at Oren and Max's pace.

It was night time when they arrived in the village, and convenient enough, Lalo was doing his rounds outside the village when he spotted the group.

"Ah, It's Varian and company! Bring it in, son. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit in this fine evening? I assume you already got Pisces' orb?" The man greeted as he pulled the poor alchemist in a huge bear hug

"Good evening too, Lalo! And yeah, we did. We're heading to Aries next after we get a restock and some winter gear." Rapunzel answered for everyone. "Are there still some shops open?"

Lalo shook his head. "At this time of night? Unfortunately, no. But you all are welcome to stay for a few days before you continue on with your journey."

"A few days? When is Aries' peak?" Lance asked, raising a curious brow at the man, who raised a brow as well.

"December 15th. Hasn't Soul told you guys?" Everyone then turned to the astrologer, who was leaning on Max with Flick on her head. A bored expression on her face.

"Soul?" 

"Must have slipped my mind." She replied, shrugging. 

Rapunzel sighed as she turned to Lalo. "Do you still have enough rooms in the inn for all of us?" She asked.

"We do." Lalo nodded. "Follow me after you've taken all your important belongings. I'll ask one of my patrollers to bring your caravan to a safe place and your horses to a stable."

After doing what the blond man said, the group followed Lalo, who lead them to the inn they previously stayed in. This time, however, Lance was roomed with his daughters. Eugene with Varian. And Rapunzel with Soul. Eugene wanted to room with his fiance, but Lalo wouldn't let the two teenagers share a room together, much to Eugene and Varian's disappointment.

The next day rolled around, and the group met each other outside the inn.

"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Varian said in an amused tone, laughing at the girl. 

Soul raised a hand doing the 'talk-to-the-hand' motion. "Shut up. I'm not in a good mood today." She replied, stretching and yawning.

"What, are you still in your-"

"DON'T even finish that sentence." 

Varian laughed before pulling the girl along with the others, who were making their way to the central plaza.

"WHY are you in a bad mood, though?" He asked, walking beside Soul.

"I'm just dreading the fact that sooner or later, the demon would know that we're here." She replied in a bored tone.

"Demon?"

"Yeah. I swear if we come across her, I'll-"

"VARIAAAN~!" A shrill voice shouted, pouncing on the unsuspecting teen. "I missed you soo so much!"

"Oh, great!" Soul huffed, blowing a strand of her hair out of her face, crossing her arms as she glared at the girl.

"Lana- can't breathe!" Varian wheezed out, trying to pull away from the girl.

"Oops~ Sorry." She lets go of him. Lana looked side-down to see a VERY unamused Soul. "Oh, you're still here."

Inhale. Exhale. "Goodbye to you too, Llama." Soul greeted back, smiling sweetly before grabbing Varian's hand and pulling him along, ignoring the blonde's protests and shouts. 

"Llama? Wait, is she the demon you're talking about?" Varian asked once they were farther away from the girl as he looked at the shorter girl, who was dragging him, with a questioning look.

"Yes, she is."

"Okay...Why a llama, though?"

"Llama's tend to spit. Lana also tends to spit out useless words and statements. I personally think she should shut her mouth forever, but sadly Earth needs the Carbon Dioxide she emits." Soul replied, still dragging the teen to where the group went. Varian continued to stare at her before bursting out in laughter. "Why, what's funny?"

"Pfft- Nothing. It's just, I knew you hated her, but I didn't know you hated her to this extent." He laughed.

Soul huffed in response. "I hate her with every blood and bone in my body. She's just so annoying, and her audacity to claim you as hers! Yuck! As if she's good enough for you. Who does she think she is? Saying something like she's gonna marry you, and make you stay here with her." Varian watched Soul rant on and on about how Lana was so annoying and how she wasn't good enoughfor him.

"Soul.....are you jealous?"

"WHY WOULD I BE JEALOUS OF THAT SPITTING LLAMA??? SHE JUST ANNOYS ME, AND IS A USELESS COMPONENT OF EARTH-" Soul erupted, rambling on and on as her two gravity-defying hair strands perking up in her anger.

She looks like an angry kitten... Varian thought, stifling his laughter as he watched the girl rant on about how she wasn't jealous and such. It was adorable really.

"STOP LAUGHING!" 

"I'm sorry! Haha! I'll stop, just please stop hitting me." He laughed, shielding himself from the barrage of punches he's receiving from the girl. Soul's fist might be smaller than his, but they do pack a punch.

=================================================

"I don't honestly understand why women take so long to shop. Like, come on! Just pick a dress and get on with it." Eugene complained while taking a sip of his apple cider.

"You and me both, bud. I just hope Kiera and Catalina don't turn out like that. That would be a pain to deal with." Lance agreed, bobbing his head.

"Tough luck for you." Eugene said, patting Lance's back.

"I don't understand what's wrong with women taking long to shop? I mean, they're taking so long because they want to look their best, right? I don't see what's the problem in that." Varian asked, looking at his two best friends.

"True, but you gotta hate the waiting. Look at us now. We've been waiting for them for TWO hours now." Eugene pointed out as he grabbed his pocket watch, opening it, and showing it to the teen to prove his statement.

"YOU take so long in the shower but does Rapunzel complain?"

"No."

"Then stop complaining." Varian sternly said, sipping his own cider. "Perfection takes time. Well, I mean, she's perfect already, so there's no need to beautify herself up more." He added, whispering the last part.

"I know, right?! Rapunzel's perfect already, so why spend so much time perfecting herself more?" Eugene agreed, mistaking the person Varian was talking about.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Varian's not talking about Raps, Eugene. He's talking about a certain lavender-haired girl with blue eyes and is an astrologer~." Lance corrected, teasingly nudging Varian, who was blushing.

"Oh! Right. Say, how is it with you and Soul?" Eugene asked, resting his chin on his palm.

"W-well....we...we were about to kiss once..." Varian quietly answered, hiding his face as Lance and Eugene let out wolf whistles.

"That close already? Dang, Varian, I didn't know you had it in ya! How was it? Are you two dating now?" Lance queried, copying Eugene's post. The two men, at the moment, looked like women gossiping and was waiting for the tea to be spilled. Which is exactly what was happening.

"Well, we WERE about to kiss if it wasn't for SOMEONE interrupting us." The teen replied, glaring at Eugene, who gave him a sheepish smile.

"Oh...heh, try again next time?"

"Ugh, what's the point. I bet she doesn't see me that way anyway." Varian sighed, slumping on his chair.

"Don't be so negative now, Hair stripe. Hey, I've got an idea! What if you dropped hints?" Eugene suggested.

"What do you think I've been dropping the whole time? Thrash?"

"NO! I mean, we all know that Soul's still having a hard time distinguishing kindness and flirting, making her oblivious and dense. But! If you dropped more obvious hints, maybe she'll catch on and start falling for you~."

"That is, are you really sure about your feelings now?" Lance asked, looking at Varian with a serious expression.

"I am." Varian replied in an equally serious expression. "And Eugene, I'll take you up on that offer. What's your plan?"

Eugene smirked before he huddled up closer to the two, telling them his plan.

Meanwhile, inside the shop, the girls weren't only just buying winter gear, but they were also buying a set of new clothes for Soul. Which is why they were taking so long. Rapunzel and Catalina deemed that Soul's current outfit was unsuitable for constantly fighting and moving around.

"But Rapunzel wears a dress, and she also fights and moves a lot. Why can't I do the same?" The lavender-haired girl protested.

"I do, but I don't jump around anymore like before. And my dress isn't as short as yours." The princess replied, going through the racks of clothing. Soul looked down at her purple dress, crossing her arms.

"What about this Raps?" Catalina asked, holding up a piece of orange clothing.

"ANYTHING else, please! Just not orange." Soul pleaded, cringing at the color. Catalina looked at the clothing before shrugging and searching for more.

"What about this? You told us before that you like the color yellow, so.." Kiera asked, holding up a yellow sleeveless one-piece. It was like a dress, but instead of a skirt, it was a short.

"Oh! You can pair that up with this long-sleeved shirt." Rapunzel piped up, holding a cream-colored shirt.

"And maybe with leggings?" Catalina added. The three began to lock in on Soul as the girl in question began sweating furiously, scared of her friends.

"Please have mercy on me..."

===============================

"We're done!"

"Finally, what took-" Varian stopped in his tracks when he saw the girls walk out of the shop, his eyes fixated on a certain astrologer.

"Wow! Soul, you're out of that ugly dress." Eugene commented, earning a smack to the stomach by Kiera. "I mean, not-so-ugly dress!"

"I feel different..." Soul quietly said, checking herself out on the reflection of the mirror.

"Is it just me or is her outfit almost the same as Varian's outfit right now?" Lance whispered to Rapunzel, who nodded her head proudly.

It was true. Rapunzel and the girls made sure to match Soul's new outfit with their alchemist friend, and they made a pretty good job with doing so. Apart from the obvious differences, you can tell that they tried to match it the best that they could.

"It's not our best work, but it's the most suitable for her normal activities." Rapunzel added.

"I'd say she looks pretty in the color!" Catalina cooed, clasping her hands together before gasping. "You should see her in her coat! It looks adorable on her."

Eugene nudged Varian, ushering him to say something. The alchemist swallowed the lump in his throat before approaching the female. "Y-you um, look good." He said, blushing.

"You really think so? I mean, I don't look too weird, do I?" Soul asked, panicking a bit since this type of clothing was very new to her. Growing up, she didn't have too much clothing and just repeated the same dress every day. Washing it at night while she's in her sleepwear and letting it dry overnight. "This just feels so new to me."

"You look beautiful, Soul." Varian reassured, smiling softly at the girl. "In a dress or even maybe just a sack, you'll still look perfect either way."

"I-" Soul took a step back, her eyes wide as she looked at the teen- "I-, uhm..T-thank you."

Varian's smile slowly faltered as he began to realize what he said, and soon enough, he became a blushing mess. Eugene and Lance laughing and shooting him encouraging words could be heard in the background while Rapunzel, Catalina, and Kiera stared at the alchemist in awe.

"Alright, stop flirting now, you two. It's too early for this." Kiera casually said, walking off.

"Um..I'm gonna go with her." Soul excused herself, running after the child, Catalina following her suit.

"Did I scare her off?" Varian asked as he looked up at his older friends.

"No, she was probably just flustered. By the way, that was very sweet of you, Varian! Finally making the moves, eh?" Rapunzel teased, nudging the teen.

Eugene cleared his throat, placing an arm around Varian. "Well, he did have help from the most charismatic man in the entire world~." He said, flexing, making the brunette giggle.

=========(timeskip to November 27, two days later)===========================================

It was a fine day. The birds chirping, singing a song. The sun despite its heat felt cold to the skin since Winter was coming close and fast. Everything was slowly turning white as specks of snow can be seen raining from the sky.

"Okay, you've got this, Varian! Just ask her and have fun. " Eugene encouraged, fixing the alchemist's hair. getting irritated at the stray baby hairs that were sticking out from the rest of Varian's hair. "I can't get these to stay put!"

"My hair's fine now, thank you!" The younger male shouted, swatting his friend away from probably cutting those strands off. He adjusted his jacket before looking at Eugene, striking a pose. "How do I look?"

"Absolutely dashing! Now go ask her out!" Eugene encouraged, pushing the teen out of the room and slamming the door close. 

Varian sucked in a deep breath before walking to Soul and Rapunzel's room, knocking on their door. Fortunately, it was Soul who answered, making his job much easier.

"Oh, Varian! Uhm, do you need something?" She shyly asked.

"Uhm, do you wanna..you know? Go on a walk with me?" Varian asked, placing his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

Soul tilted her head. "Like, hang out?"

Pursing his lips, he answered. "Yes. Hang out." This is close enough to a date, right? "I just remembered that we were supposed to hang out before when someone interrupted us, heh."

"I guess we never really got to that part the last time we were here, thanks to Eugene." Soul replied, chuckling. "Sure, wait for me a bit. I'm gonna test out that coat!"

A few minutes later, the girl came out wearing a yellow coat with lots of floof. Catalina wasn't kidding when she said she looked adorable in it.

"So, what's the plan?" She asked, swaying on her feet.

"Let's just walk around the village and see where nature takes us, kay?" Varian replied, handing out his arm. "Shall we?"

Soul took his arm, and soon enough, they were walking around town. The walk was silent for the most part, but it was a comfortable type of silence. Varian's mind then remembered Eugene's advice earlier.

"To have a successful date, make sure to prepare a decent topic you two can converse on. Entertain her with your words, but also make sure to speak after her once she's answered just to be polite." 

This isn't a date, but it wouldn't hurt to try and listen to Eugene. "Sooo...what do you do in your free time?" He asked. Okay, that was bad. WHO ASKS THAT? A socially awkward idiot named Varian does, obviously.

"Well, as you've mentioned before, I knit, read, bake, play with Flick and Hoots, invent some stuff." She listed down. " You know, science stuff. I've cut back from reading since I've read every book in the house. So, I write instead. I'm not a great writer, but I'm learning." Soul added.

"I'm sure you're a great writer." 

"Heh, thanks. How about you? What do you do in your free time? You know, when you're not a Royal Engineer?" She asked back, curious to what he does aside from alchemy, alchemy, and more alchemy.

"Well, aside from more alchemy-"

"ASIDE from alchemy."

This made Varian laugh. "Well, ASIDE from alchemy. I read, hang out with Eugene and the others if they're available. Not that exciting really." He replied, listing off the things he usually does on the top of his head.

"Sounds fun." Soul replied. "I do wonder, though. How did you meet Ruddiger?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe that I used to hate the little guy." Varian started, swatting his hand in the air.

Soul raised a curious brow. "Really? Why?"

"He used to be this annoying raccoon that would eat most of our apples and he would always sneak in our house. After some time, he warmed up to me as did I with him, so I decided to keep him." He finished, remembering the number of times he ushered the raccoon out. "It's why he's so fluffy. Heh, feasting all of the apples."

"How did you come up with his name?" 

"Uhm....It's my family name." He answered, blushing.

"Ruddiger's your family name? Wow, I did not expect that. It's cute." Soul complimented, giving him a warm smile. "Varian Ruddiger. It suits you."

Varian returned the smile, lowering his arm while the girl was still holding on to it, making them hold hands instead. "Oh! I'm sorry." He said, pulling his hand away, only for his hand to be taken back.

"I don't mind." The girl quietly reassured, gripping on his hand tightly. "It's warm..."

The two proceeded to walk around the village more hand in hand. They passed by a small flower stall where Varian bought her a single rose, to her surprise. They then went to a small cafe' where they shared some more conversations over a hot cup of chocolate. 

"I knew you were a fan of Flynn, but I didn't know you were THAT obsessed with him." Soul giggled as Varian embarrassingly scratched the back of his neck. "It's cute how you thought Eugene was the real thing, fanboying over him. "

"Yeah, heh. I was a bit stupid back then." He chuckled.

"Oh? Only back then?" Soul teased only to be met by an orange in her mouth, placed by the alchemist.

"Quiet, you. Have an orange." 

The astrologer puffed her cheeks but ate the orange nonetheless, swallowing the juicy fruit. "I hate oranges, though..."

"They're healthy for you. So hush." Varian took a sip off his drink, and when he was finished, Soul laughed at him again. "What, why?"

She pointed to her lower lip. "You have something on your...."

Looking down, he wiped the foam off his mouth, smiling sheepishly before they continued their conversation.

===========================

A few more hours later, they were walking back towards the inn. Their hands laced together as Soul playfully swung their arms as they walked, her other hand holding the rose Varian brought her.

"I actually had fun today. More so than when we were in Aradia." Soul spoke, catching Varian's attention.

"Me too. I'm glad you had fun." The alchemist responded, glancing down at the shorter female.

The walk was silent once again, but like earlier, they didn't mind the silence. When it comes to each other, for some reason, anything is fine as long as they're together. Just basking in each other's presence was enough for them. They soon reached the inn as Varian took her back to her room.

"Thanks for today, Var. It really helped me get my mind off..you know" Soul softly said, looking away.

"Seems I was distracting enough, huh?" He asked, smirking lightly.

"Yes, yes. You were a pretty good distraction." She replied, rolling her eyes playfully.

"I'm going to my room now. So, yeah. See you at dinner." Varian waved, when Soul grabbed his wrist, pulling him towards her. Placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

"See you at dinner." She said before going inside her room. Varian placed a hand on his cheek doing a small victory dance, jumping around in the hallway.

Opening the door to his shared room, he was met by Eugene, who bombarded him with tons of questions. "Varian! How did it go? Did she say yes? I mean, obviously, she did since you were gone for so long. Did she enjoy it, though? DID YOU TWO KISS?"

"Slow down, Flynn! Uhm, Yeah, she said yes, but we didn't go on a date." 

"What do you mean?"

"I asked her if she wanted to walk around the village and she took it as a friendly hang out..." Varian replied, sheepishly smiling.

Eugene facepalmed. "At least she said yes. Then?"

"We had fun. It wasn't a date, but still." The alchemist sighed dreamily. " Also, no we didn't kiss. But... She did kiss me on the cheek." He added, caressing the cheek where Soul kissed him.

"That's small progress, but progress all the same! Good job, kid!"

====================

"Sooo, how was it?" Rapunzel asked as she watched Soul flop down on her bed when she noticed the rose the girl was holding. "Did Varian give you that?"

"Hmmm!" Soul dreamily replied, rolling around on her bed, squealing. "Raps! I think we just had a date today! I mean, it was a hang out, but I'm considering it as a date!" 

Rapunzel laughed, shaking her head. " I'm happy for you, Soul." She softly said.

((For those who's gonna ask what happened to during dinner? Well, the friends were all one heck of a matchmakers so they made the two sit next to each other. And you've guessed it! They were a blushing mess, Varian more so than Soul.))


	49. Chapter 48: Burn

===========(December 1)============

The group's men were busy hauling up the supplies they've bought into the caravan with the occasional bickering of where to put what and Varian sorting out everything again. While that was happening, Rapunzel and Soul were in their room helping Catalina and Kiera put on their winter gear.

"I just love winter! It might be a lonely season where nature takes its rest, but you gotta love the snow." Rapunzel exclaimed, helping Kiera zip up her coat.

"Too bad you're future husband hates the weather." Kiera snickered, making the other two girls giggle.

"Which is why it was nice of Lance to take over the reins." Rapunzel then noticed the sad expression on the astrologer's face. "Is everything alright, Soul?"

At the call of her name, Soul looked up to see the three staring at her. "Hmm?"

"Are you okay? You seem quite out of it." Rapunzel questioned as the astrologer sighed in response.

"I'm fine. It's just...the memories from the last time I went up a mountain on a blizzard...it didn't end well." The girl replied, sitting down on a chair. "Plus, cliffs. And the fact that we're going to pass by Gene's house again."

"Ignoring Gene for a second. Why ARE you scared of cliffs? You never really told us before." Catalina asked, sitting down on the bed.

Soul glanced down, her feet playing with her boots. Her brows furrowed upwards as she sighed deeply. "Well, remember when I told you guys that my brother's gone?" A series of nods came from the three. " He died during a blizzard. We were going up to this mountain retreat to deliver some stuff when an avalanche knocked our wagon down the cliff. I...I only survived since I was riding Hoofer, the horse when it happened. To be honest, heh, I wasn't really fond of the idea of meeting the King and Queen when we were asking for permission to leave."

"Why's that?" Rapunzel asked.

"They...um, the supplies we were delivering were for them." Rapunzel gasped in shock. "It was their anniversary, and the retreat's manager asked for more stuff from my brother. I know it wasn't their fault, but...I just couldn't help but get angry at them." Soul explained.

"I'm so sorry about that, Soul." Rapunzel softly said, placing a hand on her chest. "You...you know, I almost lost them as well at that time. It was similar to yours. An avalanche knocked their carriage down. I- I don't mean to compare, I just...-"

"-It's alright. It wasn't anyone's fault." Soul reassured, cutting off the brunette. "I heard that it was Zhan Tiri's doing that caused that, and now I'm even more fired up to defeat her for good!" She declared, clenching her fist tightly as everyone looked at her with pitiful eyes."

"Sooo..." Kiera trailed off, changing the topic to shake off the uncomfortable atmosphere that was starting to grow. "What are we gonna do once we reach the foot of Mount Ina? You know, where Gene happens to live?"

"Well, let's start with checking up on him. And I'll try to apologize again if he allows me to." Soul answered, standing up and putting on her winter coat.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Rapunzel smiled as she fixed up her own gear. 

"Oh! Let's give him some food too. I mean, I'm sure we would be encountering more villages as we go. Gene's living alone now, so I figured that we could help him a little." Catalina suggested, earning a nod of agreement from Rapunzel.

"Well, let's get going. I'm sure the guys are tired of waiting for us again." The brunette laughed, causing Kiera to roll her eyes.

"They should have been used to it by now."

"Agreed."

==========================================================================

"Okay, so, I was thinking-" Eugene started.

"-I could feel something terrible is about to come out your mouth. But as a good friend, what is it that you're thinking, Eugene." Varian asked as he fixed up some wheels by adding some extra support to keep them sturdy while going up the mountain.

Eugene huffed at Varian's remark before continuing what he was about to say. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. What if we asked Soul to cast a protection spell around the caravan! That way, even if there would be an avalanche, we'd be safe!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up, waiting for his two compadres' response.

"That's actually not a bad idea." Lance commented, securing some screws on the roof.

"True, but there's one flaw." Varian interjected as he came out from under the caravan, dusting himself off.

"And what is that, hair stripe?" 

"If there was a spell like that, I'm sure it would either take a large amount of energy to keep it up and running. Soul already told us before that she can't do every spell that has ever existed since she doesn't have any magic blood in her. A protection spell might sound easy, but there's a 50/50 chance that she can't cast that." The alchemist replied, slipping on his jacket.

"That's why we're gonna ask her, genius. If she can do it, why not? It's for our protection anyway. And besides, if she could summon wind and fishes, I'm sure she could do a protection spell as well." Varian only sighed, knowing that there was no stopping Eugene from his idea. "Anyway...I have been thinking as well.."

"And what is that you're thinking of?" Lance prodded, jumping down from the caravan's roof, almost hitting Eugene in the process.

Varian fiddled with his fingered gloves, his knees slightly shaking. "Is everything alright, kid?" Lance asked as he and Eugene looked at him with worried eyes.

"I'm..."

"Go on..."

"I'm...You know how in the past few days, Soul and I kept going on these 'hang outs'?" Varian said, air quoting the word hang out.

"Pfft- You never even bothered to tell her those weren't hang outs." Eugene chuckled.

"Heh, yeah. I get nervous anytime I ask, and every time I want to say 'date', I just scramble up and say hang out instead- ANYWAY! That's not the point!" Varian shouted, causing both Lance and Eugene to erupt in laughter.

"Just get on with it then." Lance said as he wiped a stray happy tear.

Varian coughed, clearing his throat. "Since you know those hang outs always went so well, and we have been getting a lot closer these last few weeks.." He sucked in a deep breath, closing his eyes. "I've decided to...you know, try and tell her how I feel..."

Peaking an eye open, the teen saw his friends looking at him with a look that even he can't comprehend. Lance and Eugene had this frightening wide grins that looked like it was about to rip their faces open while their bodies were trembling. Their smiles were the ones that really caught Varian off guard. He thought that it was really disturbing.

"Guys, are you o-." The two suddenly started screaming or squealing or whatever noise they were making as they jumped up and down, clinging to each other as Varian covered his ears.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN!" Eugene squealed.

"OUR BABY BOY IS GROWING UP!" Lance sniffled, pretending to cry as he wiped his tears before he held out a hand to his buddy. "Now give me my 50 coins."

"Dang it! I should have chose before the quest ended." Eugene grumbled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the amount of coins needed, handing it to the burly man.

"Wait, what?" Varian confusedly asked.

Pocketing the money, Lance turned to Varian, grinning. "Oh! You see, we betted on when you and Soul would begin dating. I, of course, ever since you told me that you've accepted your feelings for her, betted on that you two would begin dating before the quest ended."

"And I, who had faith in you and knew that you would rather wait and finish the bad stuff, voted that you two would begin dating after the quest." Eugene finished before glaring at the alchemist. "Why did you have to go and confess so early?"

Varian groaned, hitting his forehead slightly on the caravan's wall in displeasure. "I can't believe you guys." He then gasped loudly, turning to Lance. "Is THIS why you were pushing me to confess???"

"What? NO! All those words were pure honesty. We just thought that it would be fun to place a little bet, that's all."

"Anyway, you guys don't think it's a little rushed?" Varian worriedly asked.

"No, it's actually a good thing that you would be telling her now rather than wait for something to destroy you two." Eugene responded.

"Tell who what? What's going on?" Rapunzel asked as she and the girls approached the caravan. 

"Nothing!" Varian replied, a little too quickly as he laughed sheepishly. "Nothing, your highness. We were just talking and wondering if Soul could cast a protection spell around the caravan."

"Hey! That's my idea!" Eugene yelled.

"Sorry, I can't. I mean, if I could, I would have used it many times now. The only shield I have is the forcefield my pendant gives me." Soul answered, gesturing to her pendant.

"Oh, come on! Really?" The ex-thief pouted.

"There are just some things that my magic can't do. If a normal witch were to cast the spell, they could. But I'm NOT a witch. And I also don't have enough energy to hold a protection spell." She replied, scratching her cheek. Eugene huffed before sighing, accepting the fact that everyone has limits.

"So, is everyone all set to go?" Varian asked, earning a chorus of 'yes' from his friends.

"I see you're leaving now. Why don't you all stay more?" Lalo asked, appearing behind them.

"Oh, Lalo! Sorry we didn't inform you, but we couldn't find you earlier." Rapunzel stated, turning around to face the blond man.

"It's fine. But why don't you all stay for a little more while?"

"We would love to, but we really should be going. It's a slightly longer travel to Mount Ina, and we also need to estimate the time of arrival before the peak." Soul responded this time. Lalo didn't say anything, only nodding his head as he turned his back on them, entering the village. Rapunzel and Soul exchanged confused looks before shrugging it off and entering the caravan.

Soon enough, the group moved forward, going on the trail they went before. Only this time, the scenery was much more fluffier. Due to some small snowy weathers before winter officially started, the once green grass was now painted white. The trees no longer have their luscious green leaves after being burned from autumn's fire, falling to the ground, leaving their strong trunks to fend for themselves during the winter cold.

Despite it only being early winter, the air made everyone weak to their knees, shivering. It has never been this cold before, and they don't know if it was only because of this part of the country's climate, or is it another one of Zhan Tiri's blizzards. And the group hoped that it was the former.

"It's so cold!" Kiera said through gritted teeth, hugging herself in a blanket. "It wasn't this cold before, was it?"

"No, but it certainly did get colder after we left Aurora village." Rapunzel responded, scooting closer to Eugene, who opened his arms and held her close.

"I'll make everyone hot cocoa." Soul volunteered as she walked inside the small kitchenette.

Varian turned to Eugene, who was calling for him, signaling him to go after the girl and tell her then.

"What? Are you crazy? NOW?" Varian whisper-shouted, leaning towards Eugene.

"Yes, now. This could be your only chance!" Eugene exclaimed.

"No, there are other more chances. That kitchen isn't even a romantic place!"

"But she would certainly need help in preparing the chocolate goodness. Alright, you don't have to tell her now. But wouldn't it be such a boost if you helped her? Hmm?"

Sighing in defeat, Varian thought Eugene did have a point, so he stood up and went to the kitchen to see what he could do to help. 

"That's my boy!" Eugene cheered as he slumped back on the couch, placing an arm around Rapunzel, who gave him a confused look.

"What was that about?" She asked.

"It's a secret, Sunshine. But trust me, you'd be surprised once it happens." The ex-thief answered, putting a finger on his lips.

Rapunzel and Pascal shared a weird look before shrugging it off and leaning more towards Eugene's hold.

"So, aside from marshmallows, what can you add in a hot chocolate?" Soul curiously asked Varian while waiting for the mixture to boil.

"Well, I guess you can add more sugar if you have a sweet tooth. But that would be very unhealthy. You can add milk too! Or or, even maple syrup or caramel!" Varian exclaimed, listing down the add-ins.

"How about whip cream?"

"Even better! You add whip cream and then drizzle some chocolate syrup on top." At this, Soul's eyes began to sparkle even more as she checked the cabinet if they had some, only for her shoulders to slump down, realizing that they don't have whip cream. 

Seeing her saddened face, Varian thought of an idea. "H-hey, what if after all this Zhan Tiri stuff we could you know...make some hot chocolate with whip cream at my place? It could be yours as well if you're not comfortable, heh." He suggested, swaying on his feet.

"That would be lovely!" Soul nodded. They then heard the bubbling of the chocolate drink inside the pot, indicating that it was now boiling. While Soul mixed and checked on the drink, Varian began to prepare the cups needed for all of them, and a metal bottle for Lance to drink in since he's outside and could probably not hold a cup while driving.

"Hot chocolate for everyone!" The two teenagers shouted, holding up the trays of hot chocolate as they posed.

"Varian, you should really stay away from Soul. You're dorkiness is rubbing off of her." 

"Kiera, no."

==========(December 4)=======================================

"Is everyone still alive?" Catalina asked, though her voice came out sort of robotic because of her shivering.

"It's not even mid-winter, and it's so cold!" Rapunzel said, hugging herself as Pascal hid himself inside her fluffy coat.

"Hey, Flick, Hoots, are you two alright?" Soul asked from under her cocoon of blanket. The silver barn owl hooted under the sofa while Flick jumped out of Varian's bag, surprising the alchemist.

"Flick, what were you doing in there?" He asked as he checked his bag to see nothing damaged, sighing in relief. The fox stretched his body, giving his owner a perfect view of his newly colored coat.

"Huh, you changed colors quickly." Soul said, catching everyone's attention.

"Foxes change colors?" Catalina questioned, looking over the small red fox that now has a golden coat.

Soul nodded. "They do. Arctic foxes' coats turn into white during winter, however, since Flick isn't an Arctic fox, his fur only changes into a gold color." She explained, petting Flick's head.

"Huh. I didn't know that." Rapunzel quietly said after hearing the small trivia.

=======(December 7)================================

"How much longer until we reach the foot?" Soul asked, throwing up her hands and almost burning the caravan as she was using her fire spell to create more warmth inside the room.

"Careful with that fire, Soul!" Rapunzel scolded, earning an embarrassed nod from the astrologer.

"We should be arriving there in a few more hours. I recall it took us seven days to get from Gene's house to Aurora Village." Eugene responded, scooting closer to Soul, basking in the heat as she summoned another ball of fire between her hands.

"Heh, I shouldn't have asked. I'm even more nervous now!" Soul said, leaning back on the couch.

"Don't be, Star Gazer! I'm sure Gene already forgot about last's events. He's just a kid. He won't hold any grudges." Eugene reassured as he leaned on the girl's shoulder where the fire was nearer.

"I'm starting to think that we should have brought like a small indoor campfire? I'm getting sick of how close this frog is to me." The astrologer teased, trying to shake off Eugene from her shoulders.

"Frog? Pascal's more of the definition, but you allow him to be close to you!" He protested as he pointed at the chameleon resting on Soul's lap.

"Well, Pascal's cute! You, on the other hand, is hideous." Eugene huffed while Soul laughed in entertainment. "I'm just kidding. Come on. You can lean back, just keep your hair away from my nose. Seriously, it makes me wanna sneeze."

Rapunzel smiled at the two before turning to Varian, who was busy cleaning some of his tools. She stood up and sat down next to the alchemist, not seeming to notice her. "Hey there, Varian."

"OHSPARKLECOOKIES- Rapunzel!" He screamed, jumping up and almost dropping his tools. 

"Oh, sorry! Didn't mean to startle you." Rapunzel apologized.

"It's fine. So, what did you, um, want?" Varian asked as he continued wiping his wrench.

"I heard from a little birdy that you were planning on confessing?" At this, Varian instantly threw a harsh glare at the unsuspecting Eugene before turning to the princess.

"Yes, I am." He sighed, lowering his voice. "But do please keep it down."

"I'm so happy for you two! Ooh, maybe we could help to set you two up in the mood? Or maybe-"

"-Thank you so much for the suggestions, Rapunzel, but I've got everything under control. " Varian said as he placed his wrench inside his bag and pulling out his hammer. "It's not that I don't trust you and Eugene with helping me, but I just want to this on my own."

Rapunzel nodded her head. "Alright, it's your call. But don't be shy to ask us for help, okay?"

"Thank you, your highness." The alchemist smiled when the caravan stopped moving.

"Alright, everyone! We're at the foot of Mount Ina, right in front of Gene's house. Is there anything you guys want to do before proceeding upwards?" Lance asked from the window.

"Yeah, we'll be down in a minute!" Soul answered, pushing Eugene of her shoulder gently as the man had fallen asleep. She looked at Rapunzel, who nodded her head before they entered the kitchenette.

After a few minutes of discussing what food to give to Gene, the two girls came back out with two baskets of food. "Soul and I would be the only ones leaving the caravan, alright? We'll be in and out." With that, they exited the caravan.

Upon exiting the vehicle, Soul clutched her coat tightly to shield her from the cold winter air. "I thought it was cold enough inside, but clearly I was wrong. It's even colder outside."

"Well, you're much more exposed to the cold outside than inside."

"I know... It's just the cold and nervousness talking." Rapunzel shook her head as she gave Soul a small smile, holding out her hand. 

"Here, you can hold my hand-." In an instant, the astrologer grabbed the brunette's gloved hand, gripping it tightly without even letting the older girl finish what she was saying. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. You're here to apologize after all."

"But what if he still hates me? What if he doesn't accept my apology?" Soul said, voicing out her thoughts.

"The important thing is that you apologized. Now, come on. Let's go." Rapunzel replied, walking towards Gene's door, knocking on it. "Gene? Are you in there?" They waited for a few seconds, but no one responded. "Gene?" Rapunzel called, knocking on the door once more, but still, no one answered.

"Do you think he's in there?" Soul quietly asked. The brunette didn't reply as she tried to open the door to see if it was locked, but to her surprise, it wasn't, and the door easily opened.

"Oh! It isn't locked. Should we go inside?"

"I don't know... that would be trespassing." The girl hesitantly replied.

"Yeah, but we trespassed before." Rapunzel countered.

"That was different. We needed to get to Libra's temple, and the museum's staff was making it difficult. This is Gene's home and is private. We don't really need anything much from him aside from apologizing." Soul stated, looking at the door. "And besides, I don't think he's gonna like it when he finds out that we entered his home without his permission."

Rapunzel stayed silent until she jiggled the doorknob, opening it and entering. The girl with her facepalmed before entering as well. The house was dark. Aside from the lack of lighting that indicated that the house was empty, but also there was something else. Soul can't place her finger on it, but the house felt dark and eerie, and she knew she felt like this before when-

"Hello, Rapunzel and Soul." Gene greeted from behind them as he closed and locked the door.

"Gene! There you are. We were beginning to get worried when we thought you weren't here." Rapunzel exclaimed. Her face lightening up when she saw the child. Soul also felt relieved to see the child, but something...something about his smile was really odd.

"Anyway, what did you two want?" Gene asked, leaning on the door. Rapunzel was about to answer when they heard a muffled sound coming from one of the rooms. "Ahem, uh, that was me. Sorry." He coughed, ushering for Rapunzel to continue.

"Oh, we wanted to give you some food! Sorry we didn't get to, you know, help you last time. But we're here now." Rapunzel stated, placing the two baskets on the table. 

Soul was about to step forward and apologize when a clanking sound loudly came from the room behind her. "What was that?"

"That was just some squirrels, probably. Anything you want to say, Soul?" Gene asked, his attention focusing on the lavender-haired girl. Soul looked at Gene, sucking in a deep breath. She then gazed into the child's eyes, about to apologize until his eyes flashed so quickly that you wouldn't even notice it if you blinked at the same time. 

Stepping back, Soul hurriedly went into the room where the sounds kept on coming, ignoring Gene's shouts. Opening the door, she let out a loud gasp, seeing Lalo tied up on the ground.

"Why? What's- Lalo?! What are you doing here?!" Rapunzel screamed, seeing the man on the floor. Soul quickly untied Lalo pulling off the gag around his mouth.

"I told you to be quiet, but you didn't listen." A sigh was heard from behind them. Turning around, they saw Gene smiling maniacally at them. "Well, time to send a signal to burn down your precious Aurora village~." He said as he snapped his fingers, sending a green spark flying outside, presumably to the village's direction.

"NO!" Lalo screamed as he was about to tackle the child, but he was held back by both Rapunzel and Soul.

"No, Lalo, calm down! That's still Gene. He's just possessed right now!" Soul reminded, struggling to hold back the large blond man. "Does anyone in your village aside from you know about the shadow henchmen and beasts?"

The man nodded. "Lana and my right-hand man know. I just hope that they have managed to control whatever is happening in the village right now."

Soul gritted her teeth as she looked at the brown-haired child. How long has he been possessed? Could they have done something to prevent it? Possibly not since they weren't with him, but if he was possessed after they left, then it would be certainly her fault.

"Gene! Snap out of it. We know that this isn't you!" Rapunzel shouted, stepping forward.

"Gene's out of service at the moment, but isn't this sweet revenge? Soul Rivers killed his only living family, his grandfather that he loved so much. And since the child isn't capable of killing yet, well, he doesn't want to, I'll be doing the honors of killing her." The shadow responded.

"If it's me that you want, then why bring Lalo into this? What did he do to Gene?" Soul questioned, clenching her fist. This really was her fault...

"Well, the more casualties, the merrier! Plus, Zhan Tiri always wanted to mess with the Zodiac's guardians." The shadow casually replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"YOU! I remember now! You were that voice, the one who controlled me that night of Aquarius' peak!" Lalo shouted in realization.

"Yes, hi again, and my name's Shrau'n (Shrawn). I figured you would want to know the name of your killer. I sensed that the orbs aren't with you right now, so tata~." Shrau'n snapped his fingers again, setting the house on fire before disappearing into the shadows.

The fire spread quickly, engulfing everything in its fiery beauty. It also did not help that the cottage was mostly made of wood.

"Can you put the fire out, Soul?" Rapunzel asked, stepping back as she huddled closer to the other two. Soul placed her hands in front of her chanting the spell, but to their disappointment, it only produced a small squirt.

"Sorry....I'm still having trouble with water spells- LOOK OUT!"


	50. Chapter 49: Gene

Waiting patiently, yet boredly. The remaining people in the caravan indulged themselves in a fun, but meaningless conversation about fruits. Which was the best fruit? The juiciest? The healthiest? The conversation was rather interesting and funny, especially how Varian would slip in some facts about the fruits.

"Bananas are the best-known fruit, hands down. You can both eat it and use it as a way to slip and distract your enemies." Kiera said.

"That's true. But did you know that a banana peel that can actually harm a person is when it's rotten? Banana peels are slippery, but the more rotten the peel is, the more-"

"Banana's might be great, and all, but grapes take the lead for the juiciest fruit." Lance countered, tossing a grape in his mouth from the fruit bowl, cutting off Varian.

"- Actually, the juiciest fruit would be the watermelon, since it's 90%-"

"Strawberries are the best!"

"-but-"

"Nope, oranges!"

"Bananas!"

"Grapes!"

"Guys-"

"Strawberries!"

"Oranges!"

"Grapes!"

"GUYS!!!" Varian shouted.

"WHAT?!"

"Hasn't it been too long since Rapunzel and Soul entered Gene's house?" Varian asked, changing the topic. Hoping that it would distract everyone from shouting at each other about which fruit was the top of the bunch.

"Relax, V. Maybe Soul and Gene are just having a heart-to-heart talk." Kiera reassured, leaning back on the bed, using her arm as a support.

"You really can't live without her, huh? I mean, it has only been a few minutes since Soul's gone, and you're acting as if your world's crumbling down." Eugene teased, draping an arm over the alchemist's shoulders.

"What? No! It's just worrying, you know." Varian replied, blushing as he removed Eugene's arm. "I just have a bad feeling." 

"What's there to worry about? It's not like something would go wrong in there." Catalina rhetorically asked when a booming sound, followed by a bright orange light flashed, diverting everyone's attention to the window to see Gene's house lit up in flames. "I spoke too soon."

"HOLY COW!!" Eugene frantically shouted, dashing outside with everyone tailing behind him. "Lance, drive the caravan a few feet away from here and guard it!" He ordered as Lance immediately took flopped on the coachman's seat, driving the caravan away from the fire.

"It's a good thing that there are no leaves on the trees anymore for the fire to spread." Kiera quietly stated, thanking the zodiacs above.

"Rapunzel! Soul!" Eugene called.

"T-they're gone." A weak voice behind them spoke, startling the group. "They made me go out quick, but...I couldn't save them.."

At that, Varian's vision got a bit blurry, and the world seemed to be spinning as he struggled to keep himself from fainting then and there. _No...NOT AGAIN!_

"Gene!" Eugene shouted as he quickly inspected the boy of any injuries, which seemed to harbor none. "Thank goodness, you're alright! A-and, what do you mean they're gone?" He shakily asked.

"It means they're dead, Eugene!" Gene sobbed, hugging the man. Eugene couldn't believe what he heard. There was no way. _Rapunzel's still alive. There's no way she's dead. I won't accept that!_

"N-no....s-she's still-." Eugene's lips quivered, his eyes wide as tears threatened to spill. "They can't be..." His fist clenched as he gently, well, as gently as he could, pushed Gene away, running inside the burning cottage.

"EUGENE!" Varian screamed, watching his friend run inside, failing to catch him in time. Varian's body trembled as he tried to stay calm for the sake of everyone else. _Okay, Varian. Two of your friends are potentially dead, and your other friend just stupidly ran into fire. Heh, everything's gonna be fine._ _Everything's snazzy, don't panic......heh....HEH....NO, IT'S NOT FINE!!!_ He screamed in his head, gripping his hair as he stared at the ground. At this point, everything was slowly falling apart again for the teen. All he could do was watch since his alchemy could only do so much. Plus, most of his chemicals were explosives. It was like the amber all over again, but this time, he couldn't actually do anything. **And he hated it.**

"It's alright, you two. Everything's gonna be okay. Eugene will bring them back. Don't lose hope!" Catalina reassured as she embraced both Kiera and Gene in her arms. It was quite impressive how Catalina managed to stay calm. Something Varian was envious of. 

But in all honesty, she wasn't. After years of acting like an older sister to Kiera, in times of pressure, Catalina has mastered the art of staying calm. As much as they were once the 'Silent Strikers', known to be a pair of cunning and clever thieves who steal without a trace, there were still times when they were close to getting caught or when they had to deal with the Baron. And during those times, Kiera, despite appearing tough, always felt extreme pressure and anxiety, causing her to lose focus. Catalina also felt the same, especially the first time few times they were met with the situation. But after learning of Kiera's small weakness, the red-headed girl brought it to herself to be the calm one, the one to bring the other to peace.

Varian waited for a few moments, hoping that Eugene would come running back with the two girls or Soul's magic would disperse the fire. But after a while of waiting and not a shadow of a person, Varian thought that it was time to stop hoping, walking back to where the others were. The alchemist dully looked at the kids when a certain detail caught his eye..

"Gene.." Varian blankly started.

"Ye-yeah?" The boy answered, looking up at the alchemist. The fire raging behind the teen reflected in his eyes. Only...with a greenish tint in them.

"If you came from inside...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


.....how come your clothes aren't charred?"  
  
  
  
  
  


"W-what do you mean?" Gene asked, shaking like a leaf.

"You said Rapunzel and Soul let you out, meaning you were inside with them when the fire started. But how come your clothes are still perfectly intact? Not a single smudge on them?"

"I-I got out before the fire started-"

"If so, why didn't they join you? Rapunzel and Soul are both an intellectual person. They'd know better than to stay inside a house that's about to burn down. Why didn't you call for us?" Gene was about to answer only for Varian to continue his explanation. "Also, before the house went into flames, there was an explosion. Meaning, something happened. Something caused that fire. WHAT exactly happened in there?"

"Soul caused the explosion! With her magic- "

"Why would she? What happened in there? You're not exactly making any sense right now, Gene." Every time Varian spoke, he slowly inched his way towards the child, who looked like he was a cub caught in a stampede. " I know Soul wouldn't even dare to hurt you, so what-"

"UGH! Stop asking so many questions. You're making my brain hurt!" Gene shouted, accidentally dropping his facade as he pulled away from the girls. "Kudos to you, though. I thought humans were stupid. But clearly, there are still some humans who aren't. Such a shame."

"Who are you?" Varian growled, pulling Catalina and Kiera behind him. 

'Gene' hung his head low before he started laughing maniacally. His shoulders violently shook with each laughter. He then raised his head, revealing an insane look on his face, causing Varian and the girls to back away from the boy. 

"I said WHO are you, and what have you done to Gene?" Varian questioned, his eyebrows knitting down, meeting each other as 'Gene's' laughter died down. His hand then began reaching down to his belt bag, grabbing one of his alchemy balls just in case. "Answer me!"

"It's more of a 'what' am I." 'Gene' started, tousling his hair before bowing. "My name's Shrau'n. A pleasure to meet ya! As for what happened to the runt, he's still here. Well, sort of."

"What do you mean-"

"I told you! Stop. Asking. So. Many. QUESTIONS!" Shrau'n roared, summoning a shadow ball towards Varian, who quickly sidestepped out of the way, tugging the girls along.

"Are you two okay?" Varian asked as Kiera and Catalina nodded their heads in response.

"You're interrogation makes my head hurt, ugh! Now, where was I?" Shrau'n said out loud, placing a hand on his chin in thought. A few seconds later, his face lit up as he snapped his fingers. "Oh, yes! Gene's still alive, he's just in here somewhere. After all, we can't really possess or shapeshift into someone who's dead. So killing someone we want to turn into is out of the question. Also, I'm not really a henchman. You could say I'm one of the true disciples. Unlike Sugracha, Tromus, and Gothel, who were once Demanitus' students, I served Zhan Tiri from the very beginning. I'm bound to her and her powers. And ever since Demanitus sealed her, I got turned into this shadowy state."

He then started walking around the three. "All of us disciples were dormant until she called us back two years ago. And it was quite the call. That blizzard was phenomenal!"

"That blizzard caused many people to suffer!" Varian screamed.

"And you think we care?" Shrau'n laughed. "Anyways, I'm tasked to get the orbs from you humans. Now, before you plead or beg on your knees for me to spare you, I sadly cannot do that." Shrau'n raised a hand, summoning a large shadow ball, directing and shooting it towards the three. " So, Au revoir~!" 

Varian turned around, shielding Catalina and Kiera from the incoming magic, bracing themselves.

"WHAT??" The demon screamed.

**"PLUS IGNIS!"**

Varian couldn't see what happened as his eyes were still tightly shut, his hold on Catalina and Kiera tightening when a loud explosion reverberated, and the impact never came. But instead, he felt an immense heat pool behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that another batch of fire started between him and Shrau'n, melting the snow around them.

"Ventus Furore!" At the words, a strong gust of wind formed a small vortex, dispersing the fire. "Sorry, we're a bit late! We had to wait for Mr. Smarty Pants over there to wake up. Seriously, who runs towards a burning building?"

"Soul!" Kiera and Catalina happily cheered as Varian's ears perked up at the name. The teen turned to look at where the two girls were looking and saw Soul, Rapunzel, and Lalo, who was supporting Eugene. He also noticed that the house was no longer burning, leaving only the bottom half of the cottage that was made with stone.

"They're alive....she's alive!" Varian quietly cheered as tears unknowingly streamed down his face.

"Now." Soul walked, standing in front of Varian and the girl, glaring at Gene. "Release Gene, Shrau'n."

"You think I'm intimidated by you? A puny little girl who could use magic? I'm more intimidated by a cat than you." Shrau'n responded. "And besides, you can't do anything to harm me, or else Gene's body is going to be the one who pays."

Soul gritted her teeth, looking away, thinking of a plan to make the demon release the poor child. "Need some help?"

"Varian!" She shouted in surprise as the alchemist gave her a small smile.

"What do we need to do?" Rapunzel asked, stepping forward as well, pulling out her frying pan. 

"We'll help too!" Catalina piped in as she stood up and walking beside Varian with Kiera.

"You guys..."

"We may not have any powers, but we're Gene's friends as well, and friends help each other!" Rapunzel determinedly stated, raising her frying pan.

"Oh, great! What is this? The power of friendship overcomes evil? Bleh!" The demon gagged before summoning a shadow ball. "Well, I'll enjoy this anyway. Taking you all down would be just a cinch! HAH!"

The group scrambled in different places, dodging Shrau'n's shadow balls. At one point, he even summoned more fire which Soul thankfully dispersed every time.

"What's the plan?" Varian asked, startling the astrologer. Soul looked down in thought, trying to form a plan when Varian suddenly tackled her down, successfully dodging one of the demon's shadow balls. 

"Are you okay?" He asked as he helped the girl up.

"I'm fine. Thanks." Soul replied, dusting herself up.

"Eh, don't mention it." Varian smiled before the girl pulled him back, a shadow ball thrown towards where he was standing earlier.

"Wow! Thanks!" 

"Don't mention it. Now, come on!" Soul instructed as the two ran away from more of Shrau'n's shadow balls.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel, Kiera, and Catalina were hiding behind a bush, watching the demon chase the two teenagers with shadow balls.

"What are we gonna do Raps? Soul said we can't hurt him, so how do we help?" Catalina asked.

Rapunzel thought for a bit when she noticed a small pile of snow next to her pan." We don't need to really harm him. What if...." Her eyes gleamed at the idea. "I have a plan!"

"Seriously, what's the plan, Soul?" Varian asked as they kept running from the shadow balls.

"Right! Sorry, I forget that nobody can actually hear my thoughts. But my plan is to tire him out." Soul replied. "Glaicem Murum!" She shouted, summoning a wall of ice, blocking a shadow ball.

"Wait, that's your plan?" He asked again, giving the girl a judgmental look.

"Don't judge me! It's hard to think when you're already in the situation. Plus, tiring him out means that he won't be able to cast more shadow balls." Varian facepalmed at the girl's response. "And when he's tired, you can trap him with your goo!"

"There's just one flaw with that. He's still a shadow demon. He can easily escape my compound."

Soul was about to suggest another plan when they heard Shrau'n screaming. Peeking behind the wall of ice, they saw Rapunzel and the girls pelting snowballs towards the demon. 

"What are they doing?" Varian mumbled, giving his friends an incredulous look.

"Take that!" Kiera shouted, throwing more snowballs, perfectly hitting Gene's head accurately.

"Stop that!"

"NO! Bring in more, Cat!" The black-haired girl ordered as Catalina rolled more snow and forming them into balls.

Seeing that the demon was distracted, Varian and Soul nodded at each other as the former grabbed three small alchemy balls, loading them into his gun. 

Shrau'n raised his hands, forming a larger shadow ball when pink goo formed around his hands. "What?" Soon, half of his body was covered in goo, rendering him immobilized. "What is this?!" He screamed, wriggling his entire body, trying to get out of the goo.

"It's a chemical compound of my own design, thank you. Heh, you see, this was made for the pesky critters that were eating most of the farm's produce, and it appears that we have caught quite a pesky critter." Varian said as he blew on his gun before placing it back in his belt bag.

"So you've caught me. Blah, blah. It's not like I'm going to go outside of this child's body. And you can't make me!"

"You're right. we can't and you won't." Soul admitted, looking down. At this, the demon smiled victoriously when Soul gave him a determined look. "But Gene himself can."

"Huh?"

"Gene, I know you're still in there." She started. "Please, come out! Fight Shrau'n out of your body!"

Shrau'n looked at the girl incredulously before he started laughing. "THIS is your plan? Talk your way out? Hah! If only it was as simple as that. The reason I easily penetrated Gene and Lalo's minds, was because they were both feeling rage, sorrow. They were both feeling negative energies! Only it was stronger for Gene. Even if he did come out, seeing you would only fuel his fury."

"We won't know if we try! What happened to Rico wasn't her fault." Varian defended.

"It wasn't her fault, but to Gene's eyes, it is. In fact, he also slightly despises all of you." The demon stated, turning to look at the others. "Where were all of you while Soul was struggling to rescue his grandfather?" He then turned to Soul. "Where was your magic when Rico needed it most?"

"I can't use all types of magic freely! I just started trying to use that spell. You can't expect me to use it perfectly the first time!" Soul yelled. All the guilt she felt that night was starting to bubble back up. 

"See? It IS your fault. If only you took the time to actually learn the spell earlier, be more prepared. Maybe you could have saved him." Shrau'n said, shaking his head.

"No! Don't listen to him, Soul. We all know it wasn't yours or anyone's fault!" Rapunzel shouted.

"Keep telling yourselves lies! Especially you, Princess Rapunzel. That's rich coming from you. You couldn't even do anything to help poor little Varian when he needed you most. Where was your power during that blizzard?" Shrau'n taunted. At the mention of the blizzard, both Varian and Rapunzel hitched their breaths. 

"I know. I know I could have done something back then. But I didn't. I hope you could forgive me, Varian." Rapunzel apologized, bowing her head towards the teen, who backed away.

"It's fine, your highness. I was being selfish that time..."

"But you're not fine. Are you just gonna let that fire inside you continue to burn, boy? Are you really letting Rapunzel go or are you just saying that to make you feel better about yourself? You know it yourself that you haven't fully accepted her apology."

_He's right...I still haven't..._

"Varian..." Rapunzel sadly whispered as she stared at Varian with worried eyes.

"V..."

Soul glanced at the alchemist, waiting for his response. 

"I.." Varian spoke, his bangs covering his face. "I...It's true." The girls gasped at Varian's answer, while Shrau'n grinned insanely. "It's true that I can't probably fully forgive her, knowing it was half my fault about what happened with the amber. But dwelling on someone's past mistakes and using that to fuel your anger won't do you or everyone else any good. No one's perfect. We make mistakes every day, and that's a part of life. It's what makes us human. The only thing we can do is to move forward. It may hurt, but everybody gets hurt. It may be hard, but nothing's easy. There's only accepting and moving on. Doing anything else and blaming others won't redo what happened, but you can fix it."

Shrau'n's eyes dilated before growing soft, his body relaxing.

"It's also true that Soul could have done something to save your grandfather. It's true that she's the one with magic. But Soul is still human. No one wanted what happened to Rico, and she mostly did not want him to sacrifice himself. But do you think your grandfather would have wanted you to hurt people for something that they could not control? Do you think he would have wanted you to grow dark?"

"I...I don't hate Soul. I was just angry, and...I-I missed grandpa so much, he was the only one I had left..." Gene sobbed. His face was red from all the crying as snot dripped from his nose. 

"Gene!" Soul yelled.

"He-help- Ack! Who knew all this talking was working? STAY THERE, YOU RUNT!" Shrau'n yelled, internally fighting with Gene as he squirmed around in the goo.

"You can do it, Gene! Fight him! We know you can do it!" Soul encouraged as she thought of a spell that could help the poor boy.

"I have had enough of this!" Shrau'n shouted, trying to summon a shadow ball from inside the goo. Surprisingly, it worked, and the demon was out of his prison. "Since Alchemy boy does not want to get revenge, I'll do it for him." He said as he slowly walked towards the brunette.

 _Come on, Soul! Think!_ Soul screamed in her mind, clutching her chest when he felt her pendant. _Would this...Let's hope this works._

Varian ran in front of Rapunzel, raising both of his arms sideways, shielding her. "Don't you dare near her!"

"If you wanna join her, you should have just asked." Shrau'n said as he started to summon a large shadow ball. "Goodbye~!" 

As he was about to throw the shadow ball, a pair of arms snaked its way around his body, hugging him tightly. "Get out of his body!" Soul commanded, making her pendant glow brightly.

"WHAT?" The light of the pendant engulfed Gene's body. surrounding the two. "THIS ISN'T OVER!"

**BOOM! FLASH!**

=======================================================================

_"Soul." A woman's voice called._

_What?_

_"Soul, dear. Wake up."_

_Who are you?_

_"Soul..."_

_How do you know my name?_

_"Soul......"_

_Wait...don't go...._

"Soul! Soul, wake up! Soul!"

_Please..._

"W-what? What happened?" Soul mumbled as she opened her eyes. She slowly sat up only to get tackled by a black-haired teen.

"SOUL! I'm sorry I couldn't protect you! I promised you that I wouldn't let you die, and you almost did, and-" Varian began to ramble. He was about to tackle Soul in a hug again, but Kiera grabbed his collar and pulled him back before he was able to.

"Calm down, V! She's still recovering." The child reminded.

"How are you, Soul?" Rapunzel questioned.

"What happened? Where's Gene?! Forget about me, is he alright? Is Shrau'n gone?!" Soul asked, looking around the room to see the brown-haired child sitting on her couch. The girl noticed she was laying on Catalina and Kiera's bed while Eugene layed on the other.

"I'm alright." Gene quietly said, not looking at the astrologer. "Also, you should worry more about yourself. You just died."

Soul's eyes grew wide as she looked at the others for confirmation.

Varian nodded as he sat back to his spot earlier beside Soul's bed. "You did. After the explosion, you suddenly dropped to the ground. Rapunzel and I checked your pulse only to feel none. Then Kiera found your pendant lying a few feet away from you. When she placed it back on your chest, it glowed, and you came back to life." He explained, his voice cracking every so often as he clutched the sheets. "I told you that I wouldn't let you die, but you did and-"

"Hey, none of that. Heed what you said." Soul weakly scolded as she placed a hand on top of his. "Don't blame yourself. You did nothing wrong. And I'm sorry for that, you know, actually dying this time. I didn't know that would happen, and I just wanted to try my theory out."

"I promise, I'll never let you die again. You can trust me on that." Varian said, grabbing the girl's hand and bringing it to his lips, kissing it softly before rubbing his cheek against it.

Soul blushed at the action when her eyes met Gene's green orbs. She raised her other hand, beckoning for the child to come closer. Gene bit his lip as he contemplated before deciding to abide.

"Gene, I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to you. I know I could have done more that night, but I couldn't. My magic was not powerful and I was not strong enough. I'm still learning more as I go. I'm not asking you to forgive me so soon, but I would just like to say sorry since I didn't get the chance to last time." She said, bowing her head towards the child.

"I..." Gene started. "I forgive you. Varian's right. Grandpa wouldn't want me to hold grudges. It's time to move on." He said, smiling as he looked at Varian, who returned the smile.

"Thank you!" Soul softly cried, wiping a few happy tears when a pair of arms wrapped around her. 

"Thank you as well for saving me." Gene said as he hugged the girl, who continued to cry on his shoulder.

The group smiled at the scene, happy that the two finally had closure.

"Varian, I would like to apologize as well. Again." Rapunzel said, bowing to the teen.

"Please! Raps, it's- I can live with it. It's done. You've fixed your mistake, I've fixed mine." Varian replied, averting his gaze. "When I said I couldn't fully forgive you, it's just. Something inside me won't allow the fire to burn out. Believe me, I tried a lot of times to forget it, to water it out, but.."

"I understand. And I won't stop apologizing until you can." Rapunzel declared.

"Please, don't. Let me allow to heal it myself." He pleaded, waving his hands.

"What a happy ending for everyone!" Lalo sniffled loudly, catching everyone's attention.

"Why is Lalo here?"

"Uh- Long story."


	51. Chapter 50: A Familiar Face

"So, um...why are you here again?" Kiera asked as Soul and Rapunzel prepared hot cocoa for everyone. The group was resting up a bit from the events that happened earlier, warming up inside the caravan. Well, as warm as they could get.

"Where to begin? Well- oh! Thank you." Lalo stopped, grabbing the cup of hot chocolate Soul placed in front of him, taking a small sip before continuing. "I was doing my usual rounds one morning. I think it was December four or five? I can't remember, but as I was heading towards the other side of the village, black smoke started to fill my sight. The next thing I know, I was tied up on the floor in Gene's house with Shrau'n in front of me. He explained that he planned to delay you guys, take the orbs, and bring them to Zhan Tiri."

"Ooooh- so that's why we didn't see you at all in a couple of days." Lance said as he placed his mug down. "No wonder you were also acting strange when we left." 

"His plan wasn't very stable." Rapunzel commented, sitting down by the table, right in front of Eugene's bed. 

"I agree, it's a dumb plan."

Lalo nodded at this. "It really was. The plan fell apart immediately after my double failed to stop you all from leaving the village."

"He never really tried to stop us or anything. More like, he only asked if we wanted to stay longer. He wasn't much of a fight." Soul stated, taking a seat on her couch. A cup of her own hot chocolate in one hand as her other hand was running through Flick's fur.

"That's a good thing they didn't." Lalo sighed, taking another sip. "It's a good thing that all of them are idiots. If they were all like Shrau'n, well, I don't even know if we'll even be safe anymore."

"Wait! If you're here, and there's a shadow double of you back in Aurora Village. Aren't you worried about what's happening there?" Varian asked, concerned for the village.

"I'm very worried. Far more than you would know. But alas, I don't have the means to contact them to see if everything's alright. I just hope that Lana and Philip have handled whatever situation happened there." The man replied, fiddling with the handle of his mug. 

KNOCK KNOCK. "HOOT! HOOT!"

"An owl! Awwww, what's an owl doing here? Are you lost, little fella? Come on in!" Soul cooed, letting the owl in before quickly shutting the window. The owl hooted as if to say thank you, ruffling its feathers to shake off the frost from her wings. "She's beautiful." Soul complimented, gently petting the bird.

Upon spotting the bird, Lalo's features lightened up. "Iris!" He called, catching the bird's attention. Seeing who called her, Iris let out a loud hoot, flying towards her master. Lalo then held up an arm, allowing the owl to perch on it.

"Is she yours?" Rapunzel asked, watching Lalo stroke the owl's head.

He nodded. "Iris is a family owl, named after my ancestors." Iris hooted happily, bringing her head closer to Lalo's finger. "What brings you here, girl? More importantly, how did you know I was here?" Iris lifted a claw, revealing a rolled parchment tied on it. Lalo raised an eyebrow, taking the paper off, letting Iris fly off his arm as he opened it.

Everyone was silent, anticipating the news the owl brought the man. Lalo, on the other hand, hesitated to read the letter, hoping for the worst. Sucking up a breath, he finally read it. After a few seconds of reading, his once stressed and scared expression turned into that of relief.

"What did it say?" Lance asked, eagerly leaning towards the man. 

"Does anyone have a quill or anything I can use to write with?" Lalo asked. Varian dug his hands in his belt bag, pulling out a pen and giving it to the man. Lalo flipped the paper, writing on its empty side. Once he was done, he rolled the parchment and tied it back on Iris' claw. "Send this back to the village, alright?" Iris hooted, flying off.

"So, what did it say?" Rapunzel repeated Lance's question.

"Oh- Sorry! Aurora Village is fine. Lana and Philip, like I hoped, handled the situation perfectly. Only half of the village got burned down since the villagers worked together to keep the fire from spreading." Lalo announced, causing the group to erupt in cheers. "But now they want me to explain EVERYTHING."

Rapunzel cringed. "Oh- good luck with that." 

"Why are you all so noisy?" A voice groaned behind them, catching everyone's attention.

"Eugene!" Lance cheered.

"EUGENE!" Rapunzel shouted, tackling the man in a huge bear hug, Pascal doing the same. 

"OOOF! Sunshine, hello." Eugene croaked, returning Rapunzel's hug, pulling her in tighter as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Please, please, please! Please, don't do that again! You could have seriously gotten hurt or worst. You could have died! What would I do if you died?" Rapunzel cried, tears streaming down her face like a gentle waterfall.

"To be honest, at that time. All I thought about was you. I didn't care what happened to me, just as long as I know you're okay." Eugene whispered as Rapunzel lightly pounded her fists on his chest. "I'd give my life up for you any time, Sunshine."

Rapunzel pulled away from Eugene, placing a hand on his cheek as he nuzzled himself on her hand. "I love you, Eugene."

"I love you too, Rapunzel. More than you could ever know." Eugene replied, lovingly gazing into Rapunzel's emerald orbs, pulling her in and capturing her lips in his.

Everyone watched the sweet exchange between the couple. A small smile on their faces, minus Catalina, whose eyes were being covered by Kiera. 

"Not to break this heartwarming reunion you two are having, but how did Eugene survive?" Kiera bluntly asked, uncovering Catalina's eyes when she saw the couple pull away from their kiss.

"Wow, did you really want me to die that bad?" Eugene incredulously said, raising an eyebrow at the black-haired child.

"I'm just curious, is all. You did run through a burning house that was bound to fall apart soon." She shrugged. "And how come you aren't injured? You only had a concussion." Kiera added, earning a soft nudge and a glare from her sister.

"Well..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Sorry, I'm still having trouble using water spells- LOOK OUT!" Soul shouted, pulling Rapunzel out of the way as a small portion of the ceiling fell down on where the woman was once standing. "Are you okay?"_

_"I'm fine, thank you." Rapunzel replied, letting out the breath she didn't know she was holding._

_"Um...girls? I think we have a bigger problem." Lalo quietly said, looking up. Soul and Rapunzel followed where the man was looking, seeing that the ceiling above them was slowly cracking._

_The wood that was holding the entire ceiling cracked, and soon enough, the decks collapsed, followed by a few more portions of the ceiling._

_"Look out!" Lalo screamed, shielding the two, bracing for impact. Only it didn't come. Pulling away slowly, Lalo saw that they were now inside a bright blue forcefield. "Woah...what is this?"_

_"Oh, it worked!" Soul cheered, seeing the blue shield._

_"Did you create this with your magic?"_

Soul shook her head. "Actually, it's my pendant's doing. For some reason, whenever it thinks that I'm about to die, it summons this forcefield. It's pretty cool."

Lalo gave her a sad look that went unnoticed by the two females as he sighed. He then looked at the ground, clenching his fist before shaking his head. **_No. Stop thinking that. You've already been possessed because of this once. Don't let it happen again._**

_"How are we gonna get out now?" Rapunzel questioned, looking around the small bubble. "Can you move this forcefield, Soul?"_

_"I don't think I can? I've never tried that before, and frankly, I'm scared to try it now." The astrologer honestly replied._

_"Well, you would need to test that out now. It's either we stay inside here and wait for the fire to die out, or we do something now." Lalo declared. A serious expression on his face._

_Soul sighed before reluctantly agreeing. "Alright. But first, let's find a way to slip out of. Then, I can move the forcefield there. TRY to move the forcefield."_

_The other two nodded their heads as they looked around, squinting their eyes to see through the thick smoke. And blue forcefield._

_"There!" Rapunzel shouted, pointing towards the destroyed wall next to the bed. The hole was big enough for Rapunzel and Soul to fit, but it seemed too small for Lalo._

_"I can probably blast that open. Alright, let's do this!" Soul held her hands out, closing her eyes as she focused on trying to connect with the pendant. A few seconds have passed, the forcefield slightly moved at her command._

_"It worked! Keep going, Soul! You can do it!" At the praise, Soul focused more, moving the forcefield smoothly. She was about to start moving it towards the wall when they heard someone calling for them._

_"Did you guys hear that?" Soul asked, looking behind her._

_"RAPUNZEL? SOUL? SUNSHINE, WHERE ARE YOU? ANSWER ME!"_

_"Eugene!" Rapunzel yelled. Surprise and worry lacing her tone. "What are you doing here?" She asked as Eugene stumbled upon the room they're in._

_"I came to look for you two." He coughed._

_"Eugene, as much as we're thankful for your heroic act, what you did was just stupid. You can get seriously hurt!" Soul scolded, watching the man go through the blazing wood._

_"Trust me. I've handled situations that are far more worst than-"_

_"EUGENE!" They screamed as one of the decks that were still miraculously hanging fell on top of him, hitting him square in the head._

_"This was what I was saying. UGH! Autem!" Soul shouted, her hands glowing purple, as did Eugene's body. She then made pulling motions, successfully bringing the man towards them and inside the forcefield._

_"Is he alive?" Rapunzel asked, kneeling down next to her lover's body. Lalo took his wrist, examining his pulse before nodding._

_"He is. He just passed out."_

_"Sana Statim." Soul said, directing her hands towards Eugene's body. The glow changed from purple to green as the spell healed the man's cuts. "There. Whatever external injury he acquired from that has healed now. Unfortunately, what that hit did to his head, I can't heal. This spell only lets me heal wounds and injuries."_

_"That's fine. Thank you, Soul." Rapunzel said, pulling Eugene close to her. Soul gave her a small smile before standing back up._

_"Alright, let's try this again." She said, holding her hands back out, focusing on connecting with her pendant. A few seconds and a minute came in, and nothing. "Okay, you can't just work when you want to."_

_"Why, what's wrong?" Lalo asked as he watched the girl struggle._

_"It's not working. I can't move the forcefield." Soul replied, dropping her arms to her side, feeling slightly exhausted._

_"What now?" Rapunzel asked, looking up at her companions._

_Soul placed a hand under her chin, thinking of a plan to get out of the burning house. She needed to think of something. FAST. She didn't tell Lalo and Rapunzel that she felt the forcefield slowly deactivating as not to alarm them. Water spells were out of the question, and fire spells won't do any good but make the situation much worst._

_"Can the wind put out a fire?" She suddenly asked, catching Lalo and Rapunzel's attention._

_"Um, yeah? Why?" Lalo questioned, curiously looking at the girl. "I thought you'd know that."_

_"Of course, I know that. What I meant is, can wind put out a fire this big?"_

_"It depends on how strong the wind is, probably. Worst case scenario, it spreads the fire out more." Rapunzel answered._

_"Let's try this out then. Stand back and make sure not to position yourself where something's bound to fall on you." Soul ordered as the two did what they were told, Lalo carrying Eugene. At that, the forcefield finally disappeared, causing the three to cough out from the smoke. Holding her hands out, Soul shouted the other wind spell she practiced, praying to the Zodiacs that it works. "Ventus Furore!"_

_At her words, a small whirlwind conjured between her hands, growing as she kept focusing on it. Soon enough, the whirlwind was big enough to suck in all of the debris inside it, as well as put the fire out. Once the fire was completely out, Soul dispersed the miniature tornado she caused, surprised that it took along everything it sucked up._

_"Great job, Soul!" Lalo praised, smiling at her. Soul returned the smile, rubbing her arm._

_"Anyways, I'm tasked to get the orbs from you humans. "_

_"Is that Shrau'n?" Soul asked, hearing the demon's voice._

_"Now, before you plead or beg on your knees for me to spare you, I sadly cannot do that."_

_"It is! Oh, no! He's gonna attack Varian and the girls!" Rapunzel announced, looking out from the remains of the house. Soul and Lalo peeked out as well, seeing the demon raising a hand as he summoned a large shadow ball._

"S _o, Au revoir~!"_

_"Not if I can help it."_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Yeah, that's pretty much it." Soul sheepishly said, finishing her story.

"Wow, that wasn't how I remembered it." Eugene said, raising a brow.

"The hit must have messed up your memories somehow because that's exactly what happened." Lalo countered. Soul and Rapunzel, agreeing with him. 

"We're glad you're okay now, bud." Lance smiled as he walked towards Eugene, giving him a small hug.

Varian nodded. "Yeah. You really gave us quite the scare when you ran in." He added.

"Heh, sorry." Was all Eugene said as he scratched his neck.

"Anyways, I best be going." Lalo said as he stood up. "Aurora Village needs me soon. Plus, the trip takes at least a week and a half on foot, so I better start moving now."

"Can I come with you?" Gene asked, standing up as well.

"Oh, right. Your home's destroyed now." Lalo remembered. "I'm sorry, Gene. If I could take you, I would. But the snow's too harsh. I doubt you would last long in this cold." He somberly replied.

Gene sadly looked at the ground, feeling dejected. The poor child didn't even get to save at least one memento from his grandfather. He didn't even get the chance to save some clothes or any of his belongings.

"But, after Aries' temple. To get to the next Zodiac, Soul and her group would be going past Fritzburg village, where Aries' guardian lives. You can stay with them for a while. I promise I'll come back for you once the snow dies down a bit. Is that alright with you?" Lalo offered, placing a hand on Gene's shoulder.

"It's fine." The small child nodded. Lalo smiled at him as he ruffled his hair before looking at the group.

"Well, I'll be going now. Thank you for your hospitality, as well as for saving me. Take care and good luck on the rest of your quest." He said, exiting the caravan.

"Soooo. We best be going as well." Rapunzel said. Lance then stood up, stretching his limbs as he grabbed his coat, putting it on.

"Will you be alright outside in this weather, Lance? Max is a smart horse, Oren as well. I'm sure they could handle directing us." Eugene asked, concerned for his friend.

"I'll be alright. I faced worst situations than this." Lance confidently replied.

"Careful, Lance. That's what Eugene said, and look what happened to him." Soul snickered, grabbing the empty cups, heading towards the kitchenette.

Lance just scoffed, exiting the caravan to sit at the coachman's boot.

=========(Three days later. December 10)============================================================

"We told you that Max and Oren could handle it. But did you listen? Nooooo, you didn't. Look at you now!" Eugene scolded as he placed a damp hot towel on Lance's forehead while Varian placed a bunch of bottles filled with hot water on the man's side to keep him warm.

"I-I thought I could handle it." Lance replied through gritted teeth, his body shivering.

"This is bad. Lance's condition can get worse if he doesn't get treated soon." Rapunzel worriedly stated, hugging herself as she scooted closer to Soul, who was using her fire magic to keep them warm. "H-how much longer until we reach the top?"

"I don't know... But I noticed that we passed the midpoint earlier." Varian answered, steam coming out each time he uttered a word.

"Midpoint?"

"Uhh- you know, the-the point where the road down to Fritzburg and Strayside cliff meet?" He explained, well, TRIED to explain. The cold was messing his thinking up a little.

"Hey, come down here, Var. It's warmer here." Soul called, patting the floor next to her with her free hand. Despite the floor being much colder than the seats, they had no choice but to huddle close together on the ground with their blankets on since Soul's fire could only reach so much.

"Oh, I'm fine! You girls-"

"Ahem!" Gene coughed.

"-and boy, warm up there. I'm good." Varian smiled, giving them a thumbs up when not a second later, he started shivering like crazy.

Kiera and Catalina giggled at the teen as Soul and Rapunzel shared a look, shaking their heads. "Come on, Varian. Denying won't do you good." The latter said, coaxing him to join them.

_'Denying won't do me good, huh?'_

"Fine." Varian replied, walking towards Soul's side and sitting down next to her. Ruddiger, who was under Gene's blanket instantly, jumped on his owner's arms, quickly falling asleep.

"You guys think this is Zhan Tiri's doing?" Kiera asked, clutching ber blanket around her more.

"No, not really. It's always been this cold during winter." Gene responded, reassuring everyone that the uncanny super cold weather had nothing to do with the demoness. "Though it is my first time experiencing it out of my house's warmth."

"We're sorry about what happened to your house, Gene. We didn't expect Shrau'n to burn it down." Soul sincerely said, looking at the child.

"It's alright. It was my fault anyway. I brought this to myself." He sighed.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault or anyones for that matter. So don't beat yourself, okay?" Rapunzel reminded as she reached out, taking Gene's hand in hers, rubbing her thumb on the back of his hand. "Everything's going to be alright. I promise."

 _There she goes again..._ Varian thought as he watched Rapunzel and Gene's interaction. He clenched his fist, stopping himself from thinking any negative thoughts, afraid that Shrau'n would take advantage of him if he did. And boy, was it hard. He really thought he was over it. Turns out, the fire of hate still burned inside him, hiding in the dark pits of his mind.

"Are you okay, Varian?" Soul quietly asked the boy beside her, noticing the faraway look in his eyes and the frown on his lips.

"I'm okay. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, really." He reassured, giving her a small smile.

"You're...doing that again." Soul frowned.

"Doing what?"

"That thing...I noticed that sometimes when you're, um...faking something, you do that small smile. Are you really okay?" She concernedly asked, repeating her question. "Is this about what happened between you and Raps?"

"It's just-"

**NEIGH!**

The caravan violently shook as the two horses rapidly directed the vehicle towards a small cave before a pile of snow covered the entrance, trapping them inside.

"What happened?!" Eugene questioned, exiting the caravan.

"I think there was an avalanche, and since there was not much space to turn the caravan around, Max and Oren thought that it would be wiser to get us all inside here. But now we're stuck here." Varian speculated, following the man. "I'd blow this up so we could get out of here, but I'm scared to cause more damage."

"Wow, that's new." Kiera teased, earning a soft nudge from the teen.

"On the bright side, it's much warmer here! And Lance could get better soon!" Rapunzel exclaimed in an attempt to cheer everyone up and make the situation much more lighter than it seemed.

"On the downside, our trip up the mountain would be delayed. We might even miss the peak because of this." Catalina pessimistically added.

"I guess I can melt this." Soul volunteered, walking out of the caravan and towards the pile of snow, inspecting it. "Yeah, I can probably."

Soul held her arms out, preparing to cast the spell when they hear a voice call out from outside.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Is that a person?" Soul unconsciously spoke out loud, causing the person outside to snicker.

"No, I'm a fish." The stranger's reply made Eugene and Varian cackle in laughter, stopping when the astrologer gave them both a harsh glare. "Anyways, it's clear that there are people in there."

"Who are you?" Soul inquired.

"Look, girly, woman, thing? Please allow me to get you and your friends out of that cave first, okay?" 

"They're right, Soul." Eugene said, placing a hand on the astrologer's shoulder, pulling her back. 

_Soul? Could it be- No. There are a ton of people in the world that could have the same name._

"Um, hello? Eugene? Remember Shrau'n? Shadow henchmen and such? Yeah, I'm not taking any chances. I'd rather get us out of here than to trust this person." Soul stated, her eyebrows meeting downwards, glaring at the entrance.

"You know about the shadow henchmen too? Look! I'm a friend of Aries' guardian. I can take you there." They informed. "You have to believe me!"

"And why should we? For all we know, you're one of them!"

"And for all I know, you guys are one of them, but I'm still willing to help you." They retorted. "Look, you just gotta take the risk."

Soul opened her mouth to bicker with the person more when Eugene tightened his grip on her shoulder, shaking his head. 

"If it makes you all feel better, once I get you out there, you could attack me or something." They offered.

"You...you don't have to do that. That isn't fair for your part." Soul replied, sighing. "Alright, I'll let you help us. Thank you."

"Thank you as well. Better stand back now, though." They said as Soul and Eugene backed away from the entrance. Soon enough, a loud explosion was heard from outside. The noise echoing throughout the small cave.

"I could have done that as well." Varian mumbled, crossing his arms.

Rapunzel giggled. "You'll get your moment, Varian." 

BOOM!

"Aaaand, that's the last of that. You're all free now, tadaaaa~!" The stranger cheered, his voice now clear and not muffled, revealing him to be a guy. The group couldn't see what he looked like since his whole appearance was still covered by the smoke from the bombs he used. "See? I told you I was good." 

"Well, we can't exactly see you, you know?" Eugene deadpanned.

"Oh! Sorry, heh." The stranger coughed. Once he stepped out of the shadows, he instantly caught Soul's eyes as she stared at him like her eyes were about to bulge out of her head. 

"You..." Her voice cracked, taking a step back. The stranger looked at the girl, having the same reaction that Soul had.

"You!?"

**"What are you doing here?"**


	52. Chapter 51: Gold

"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to NEVER leave the house?" The man shouted, glaring at Soul. "I can't believe this! I can't believe that the moment I disappear, you go and break the rules." He added, flailing his hands around as he talked.

"You...You're.." Soul stammered, taking a step back. Her back hitting Eugene's hard chest. "You're not..."

"Hmm? What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost or something- WOAH! WHAT THE?" He yelped, barely dodging a blast of fire.

"MORE LIKE A DEMON!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? IT'S ME, YOUR BROTHER!"

"ACCENDERET!" Soul shouted, flinging fire towards the man. "YOU. ARE. NOT. MY. BROTHER! HOW DARE YOU USE A DEAD MAN'S BODY, YOU FIEND!"

"WHAT? NO! SOUL, IT'S ME, I'M NOT DEAD! EEPPP!!!" He screamed, ducking as he grabbed his head, evading a large blast. "You know, as much as I miss this. WILL YOU PLEASE STOP SHOOTING ME AND LET ME EXPLAIN!"

"THERE IS NOTHING TO EXPLAIN!"

"UH, YES THERE IS!"

"Soul! Enough, you could cause another avalanche!" Eugene reminded, picking the angry astrologer up and dragging her away. "Do you know this man?"

"Oh, sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. Ahem, my name's Gold. Goldie Rivers actually, heh, but just call me Gold." Gold stated, bowing.

"No, you're not! Gold died two years ago. You're just a shapeshifting shadow henchman!" Soul yelled as she tried to wriggle out of Eugene's hold. "So if I were you, I'd change back and disperse now before things get messy."

"Died?" He echoed, tilting his head.

"When we were going to deliver the items to the mountain retreat. An avalanche knocked your wagon off the cliff with you inside it. There's no way that someone would be able to survive that kind of fall." She said, glaring at the blond. "I saw my brother die with my very own eyes! So I don't believe that you're him."

"I...I don't think he's lying. Shrau'n said it himself that they can't shapeshift into someone who's dead." Varian spoke up, walking forward. "But I do agree that we can't take any chances. Even if you really are who you say you were, we won't believe you so fast."

"Oh, come on. If I were a shadow henchman, I would have summoned my shadow beasts and killed you all right now since you're pretty much vulnerable at the moment. You know, trapped inside a small cave with no exit and all." Gold scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Well, my date almost ended up killing me. Turns out he was a shadow henchman." Soul retorted, crossing her arms over Eugene's arms.

"Date? You had a date? Know what? I'll ask that later!" Gold shook his head. "Is there any way for you to believe me? Cast a truth spell or something?"

Soul shook her head while Varian's face lit up. "But I can!"

"Are you magic too- wait, Varian?"

"I don't know you and how you knew me, but yes. I'm Varian. And no. I'm not magic, but I know a way for you to confirm that you're telling the truth." The alchemist exclaimed, running back towards the caravan. A few seconds later, he came back out with a vial in hand. "We were supposed to try and use this to distinguish if we really were ourselves back in Aradia, but then we got caught up with more stuff and pushed this away."

"Oh, yeah. I remember that plan. We sort of forgot about that, huh?" Rapunzel chuckled, looking at Catalina and Kiera, who shrugged in return.

"This, as the name suggests, is a truth serum. Which, of course, compels you to tell the truth until the effects wear off. Speaking of that, the duration varies depending on how much you intake." Varian explained as he held up the vial for Gold to see before adding, "And, yes. I made it myself."

"So, how much do I drink?" Gold asked, taking the vial from the teen, inspecting the liquid.

"A small sip would do."

The man shrugged before taking a small sip, cringing at the taste as he wiped his mouth. "Alright, assuming this works now because if not, then it's clear that you haven't changed since all your experiments practically failed and caused so much trouble for the whole village. Wow! Uhh.." Gold stopped in his tracks, looking at Varian with wide eyes. "Um...well, it's the truth anyway. But hey! It works." He shrugged.

"Well, at least now I know why you know me." Varian frowned at the man, sighing sadly as he ushered him to continue what he was about to say.

"Okay, um. My name is Goldie Rivers, age 24, brother of Soul Silver Rivers-."

"Your second name's Silver, Soul?" Eugene asked, looking down at the girl.

The astrologer nodded. "Yes, but please don't ever call me that."

"Why?"

"Soul hates being called Silver. Says it makes her look like a second-placer. She was a VERY competitive child back then. Hates losing in chess and pretty much everything." Gold snickered, leaning on the boulder he was hiding behind earlier. "The number of times she almost set the house on fire from trying to hit me with that fire of hers. Man, good times." He added, shaking his head.

"That's not true!" Soul denied, puffing her cheeks in anger. Her statement made everyone present snicker and chuckle.

"I'm on truth serum, remember?" Her brother smirked, waving the vial on his left hand.

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that." The girl huffed.

"Anyways, I really am Gold. I was in a coma for two years. Mirajane found me and brought me here, saying that the medicine I needed cannot be found in Corona." Gold said, walking towards Soul, who was still in Eugene's hold. "I'm not a shadow henchman. I'm really alive."

Eugene, sensing the atmosphere between the two, let go of Soul as he stepped back to stand next to Rapunzel. "You're..." Soul trailed off, looking into the man's blue eyes, which were reminiscent to hers.

"Hey." Gold warmly smiled as Soul reached up to touch his cheek. "OW OW OW! THAT HURTS! STOP PULLING ON MY CHEEK!" He yelped, rubbing the area. His pained expression soon turned into that of confusion as he saw Soul just blankly staring up at him. Shouldn't she be happy? Was she not happy to see him?

But in reality, her mind is still processing and taking in all of this. Was all of this real and not just some sick illusion or hallucination that Shrau'n was letting her see? Or perhaps this is the afterlife, and she had unconsciously killed everyone when she made Shrau'n leave Gene's body? What? The thought's not impossible.

"Soul? Are you oka- WHY ARE YOU CRYING?" The man panicked.

"You're... real?" Soul quietly asked, sniffling as she tried not to blink the tears away. Her eyes never leaving the man's form, afraid that if she as much as looked away or blinked, he would disappear. "You're not....you're not a dream?"

Gold nodded, chuckling. "I am very real, and most likely not a dream. But I AM dreamy, not gonna lie. Well, not like I CAN lie at the moment."

And that broke the dam as tears continuously spilled out of Soul's eyes, cascading down her flushed cheeks. . "You're real! You're really real!" She squealed, hiding her face in her hands, bowing.

"Yes, I'm really here!" He smiled, rubbing his sister's back. Small tears rolling down his face. "Woah!" He yelped in surprise, stumbling back when Soul jumped up to hug him, wrapping her legs around his waist as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. 

"I can hug you again!" She cheered, laughing as she hugged him tighter. "Please don't leave me again..."

"I won't...Big brother's here to stay and bother you for the rest of your life." Gold teased, laughing as he wiped his tears, letting her down.

"Alright, now that that's settled. We'll take the truth serum next. " Rapunzel announced. "I mean, it wouldn't be fair if you're the only one who took it."

"It's fine. If Soul trusts you all, then I do too. Well, at least some of you." He said, giving Eugene and Varian a weary look. "I don't really trust Mr. Explode here, as well as Mr. Flynn."

"That's um- good! Because I also don't have enough truth serum left to give everyone." Varian coughed, averting his gaze away from the blond man.

"First off. It's Eugene now, and what are you doing up here on Mount Ina?" Eugene asked as he crossed his arms, cocking his hip to the side.

"Mirajane's busy, and she couldn't bring the orb up the temple and meet the people Mi'lo said that would be taking the orbs. So she sent me to escort you all down to Fritzburg." Gold explained.

"Oh, that's great! See, we need to go to Fritzburg soon anyway. Our friend, Lance, is inside the caravan, and he needs help. It seems he's caught a cold from spending too much time outside in the cold." Rapunzel said, clasping her gloved hands together. "Gene's inside helping him warm up."

Gold nodded. "Very well, then we mustn't waste more time. The longer he stays in the cold, the more severe his cold can get." He said, exiting the cave.

"Don't you want to come along with us in the caravan?" Soul asked, stopping her brother as everyone else entered the caravan, Eugene directing the horses to rotate the vehicle.

"I have my own horse. Plus, I'll be fine. I traveled out in the snow for three days by myself. I have enough food to last me- ngh!" He croaked, spitting out. "What was that?"

"Are you lying?" Soul raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, fine, fine! I'll join you guys. I don't really have much food anymore." He admitted.

"So you're only joining us for the food?"

"No- Yes! Also, I want to spend more time with my little sis- ARH FINE! FOOD ONLY"

"You know, between us two. You're the one who didn't change."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, Gold. Tell us about yourself!" Rapunzel initiated, sitting crisscross on the couch across Soul's bed, looking at the older sibling.

"Well, I'm a botanist. I study various aspects of plants. From how they grow, what are their conditions and requirements to grow healthily, and how we can use them in terms of cooking or medicine. Ya know, that stuff." Gold answered, shrugging as he leaned back on the couch, using his arms to cushion his head. "I craft furniture as well, selling them while I'm on the road. You can say I'm a traveling merchant as well."

"Which is also why he used to leave me alone. A LOT." Soul remarked, giving her brother a side glare.

"Hey! I ask you every time if you're alright with it." He defended.

"Doesn't mean that I don't feel lonely sometimes." Soul said, huffing as Flick nodded his head, saying that what Soul said was true.

"Awww, don't worry! We'll be staying together from now on." Gold cooed, grabbing Soul and squeezing her in a tight hug. "I won't let any bad guys near you! Or ANY guys for that matter."

"This is going to be difficult..." Varian mumbled, dully looking at the blond man.

"Looks like you need to win over the brother first before you confess, eh?" Eugene quietly teased, nudging the alchemist. 

Varian nodded. "And that's why it's going to be difficult. I think Gold hates me."

"Hate's a strong word, kid. Maybe more like...dislike?" 

"Either way, he's not going to give me his blessing anytime soon." The alchemist sighed.

"Please don't eliminate half of the human species I'm allowed to talk to." Soul said, pulling away from the man. 

"Yeah, and it's pretty much too late for that." Kiera snickered, followed by Catalina.

Gold raised a brow. "What do you mean? Is this about that date you went on? SPEAKING of that, who's the guy I have to kill?" He asked, menacingly cracking his knuckles, glaring at Varian. "Is it HIM?"

At this, both teenagers paled. "No! Varian's...a friend. Yeah. It's not him." Soul reassured, biting her lower lip. "And besides, uhh- I dealt with the guy already. So, you don't have to worry about him." Gold gave Varian one last glare before flopping back down on the couch.

"Well, alright. If you say so." He said.

"Say, Gold. Didn't you say you were in a coma? When did you wake up? And why didn't you come back to Corona?" Eugene questioned from Lance's bed. Soul's ears perked up at the question as she intently looked at her brother, waiting for his response.

"I woke up somewhere around March? And uh, I would definitely return soon if I could, but uh. I was bedridden for about four months until..." Gold trailed off.

"Until?" Soul echoed.

"Until the doctors said that I'm better off without my legs." He replied, lowering his head.

"What do you...." Everyone gasped as Gold took off his boot to show them his metallic foot. "Gold, your?"

He nodded. "Apparently, when I fell off the cliff, my legs got squished by the wagon, and it stayed underneath the cold snow for too long. They didn't chop my legs off before because they thought it would recover when I wake up." Gold said, putting his boot back on. "Then I woke up, tried to stand, found that I couldn't. We waited it out, thinking it was only because I was bedridden for two years, but four months have passed, and when the doctor came to check up on me again. He said that my legs do not operate anymore, which also explained the numbness I felt. So they chopped it off and ordered these metallic legs from Ingvarr. It took a while to make, and the legs only just recently arrived. October, I remember."

Soul gave her brother a hug. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey, it's fine. I mean, I'm still alive and walking, so that's good! Better off leg-less than dead, am I right?" He joked, ruffling the girl's hair. "Anyways, how's Corona, your highness? Has it prospered more? What happened in those two years? And the rocks! Are they gone now?"

The people in the caravan went silent as Gold waited for their answers with a goofy smile on his face. Even Soul was silent.

"Why? What happened. Things got quiet."

Rapunzel pursed her lips, scratching her head. "Well..."

.

.

.

.

"Yikes. All that in two years? Wow!" Gold awed. "But Zhan Tiri's gone for good now, right? And it's just her henchmen fooling around now that their master is gone?"

"Actually, that's why we're in this quest. She's still alive, but she's just in limbo. " Rapunzel answered.

"How did you know she's in limbo?"

"Soul told us." 

"And how did YOU know that she's in limbo?" Gold asked, raising an eyebrow towards his sister, who sheepishly chuckled. 

"Don't be mad, but I may or may not have taken and read mom and dad's journals, books, and scrolls." She admitted, scooting away from the man.

"YOU WHAT?" Gold yelled. "SOUL! I told you before that you weren't allowed to read them!"

"But why? What's wrong with wanting to know what happened to them?" Soul questioned, knitting her eyebrows upwards. 

"EVERYTHING." Gold answered as he banged his fist on the couch. "You know you're not allowed to touch their things, and you know that I don't like talking about them. So, please. Just drop it. I don't want to argue about this. It's bad enough that you're out here helping the princess with this Zhan Tiri and Zodiac orbs thing." He said, standing up when Soul grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"Why? W-why can't I know about them? And what do you mean it's bad enough that I'm helping them?" She asked again, looking up at her brother with desperation. "What are you hiding from me?"

Gold looked down at her, sighing. "I'm sorry, Soul. But I can't let you know. Not now. You're not ready yet." He pulled his wrist away from the girl, excusing himself as he entered the kitchenette for some alone time.

Soul sadly gazed at the door as she sat back down, ignoring the sad stares she received. At this, Eugene coughed, catching the alchemist's attention as he subtly cocked his head towards the girl. Varian got the message, standing up, walking towards the girl. He opened his mouth, about to speak, when the kitchenette's door slammed open, startling everyone.

"On second thought, I don't need alone time." Gold smiled, walking towards Soul's couch, not so gently pushing Varian away as he flopped down, laying his head on his sister's lap.

Soul gave the teen an apologetic smile as Gold stuck his tongue out at him before closing his eyes to sleep.

"Pfft!" Eugene stifled his laughter, covering his mouth when Varian came back to sit next to him beside Lance's bed.

"Yeah, this is going to be hard." Varian deadpanned. 

==========(December 13)===========

"And welcome to Fritzburg Village!" Gold chirped as he stood in front of everyone, his arms spread wide. 

"He's definitely Soul's brother." Kiera commented, Catalina and Gene, nodding their heads in agreement.

"Let's stop by the clinic first and drop Lance off there." He suggested, ushering the group to follow him.

"Can we bring the caravan along?" Rapunzel asked as Gold nodded in response.

"Go ahead. We don't exactly have public stables for the horses to sleep on. Luckily, Mira has one, so yeah!"

-

"It's a good thing that you all brought him in earlier. Any more later, he could have died." The doctor informed as he placed Lance's bed near the blazing fireplace, giving him a bunch of blankets, and hot tea. "He should be fine in a couple of days."

"We'll leave him in your hands, alright, doc?" Gold asked.

"You can count on me." The doctor nodded, pushing up his glasses as he proceeded to tend to Lance.

"Now, let's head all head over towards Mira's place." Gold beckoned as they exited the clinic.

"Oh yeah, I forgot! Do you think Gene could stay with her until the winter passes? His house kind of burned down." Rapunzel asked, placing a hand on the child's shoulders.

"Mira lives alone, well, aside from me. But I don't think she'll mind having Gene stay with her." He responded, smiling at the child.

Soon enough, the group arrived in front of a fairly large house, which awfully looked similar to Isabel's house. Gold parked the caravan outside the stables, asking everyone to take their valuable belongings with them, freeing Max and Oren and letting them settle inside the stable with Hoofer 2.0.

"I still can't believe you named your new horse Hoofer 2.0." Soul chuckled, shaking her head.

"What? I missed the guy." Gold chuckled back. "I'M HOME!" He shouted as he entered the house, motioning for everyone to come in as they settled in the living room. 

"Oh! Welcome home. I wasn't expecting you so soon. Is everything alright?" A sweet voice asked from one of the rooms. "Hold on. I'll be right out."

"Is every guardian this rich?" Eugene silently commented as he inspected the place's interiors.

"Oof! Uhm- hello! I'm assuming you're the orb takers?" A young woman asked as she entered the living room. Her red hair reminded them of Isabel's own locks. "My name's Mirajane. You can just call me Mira."

"Are you Isabel's daughter?" Catalina straightforwardly asked, not taking her eyes off the woman.

Mira blinked in surprise. "Do I really look that young? And besides, I don't think Isa has any daughters." She giggled. "No, I'm not. I am her sister, though if that helps."

"I knew it! You have the same hair color as her." Rapunzel exclaimed. "By the way. My name's Rapunzel. It's nice to meet you, Mira!"

"It's nice to meet you too, your highness!" She bowed.

"You know who I am?" 

"Aside from Gold's stories about how he crafts furniture for the castle, I guess you being the Sundrop also got you in the charts." Mira explained.

"Wait, Gold, you craft for the castle?" Soul curiously asked, giving her brother a confused look.

"Heh, yeah. That's why I was tasked to deliver some stuff to that mountain retreat. It was supposed to be King Frederic's gift for the Queen." Gold replied, sheepishly glancing at the side.

"Aww! You must be Soul. Gold has told me so much about you." Mira cooed, pinching Soul's cheek. "I hope you don't mind me dating your brother."

"WHAT?!"

"Ack- way to drop the bomb, Mir." 

"GOLD?"

"Well..."

"Anyways! All I need is the password then I can give you the orb." The woman smiled, clasping her hands together, acting as if she didn't just expose her relationship with the man.

"Wow, you broke your sister." Varian chuckled, poking Soul's shoulders as the girl just stared at the ground, mumbling incoherent things.

Gold swatted his hand. "Don't touch her." He said, causing Varian to back away.

"Uhm, Miss Mrajane? Can I please stay with you for a couple of months? At least until winter ends?" Gene spoke up.

"Oh? Sure! I don't mind." Mira answered. "But may I ask why? I mean, I'll still let you stay, of course. I just want to know why."

"Shrau'n burned my house down..." The child downheartedly replied, causing Mira to gasp, looking at the child with somber eyes.

"I'm sorry about that. Anyways, you're welcome to stay as long as you like. Don't be afraid to ask anything, alright?" She said, hugging Gene.

"Soul? Are you alive?" Kiera asked, poking the astrologer's side.

"You have a girlfriend...and you didn't bother to tell me in the three days we were traveling?" Soul breathed out, linking her fingers together, leaning her arms on her knees.

"Worry about that later, Star Gazer." Eugene said, Gold agreeing beside him.

Soul sighed, standing up. "Mi'lo, the protector of Pisces' temple, has given us permission to proceed here and ask for your permission to take Aries' orb." she stated, bowing her head.

"You really are adorable! Wait here." Mira said, exiting the living room for a bit, coming back a few minutes later holding a pink orb. "Here it is."

"Woah! I didn't know it was possible to keep the orbs." Rapunzel awed as she stared at the orb.

"The orbs don't disappear once its removed of its pedestal." Soul reached out to take the orb when Mira held it out of her reach, which was quite easy since the woman was much taller than her. "But first! You have to answer MY questions first." Mira declared, winking at the girl.

"Oh, come on." Soul sulked, slouching forward.

"First! Why do you need to take the orb?" Mira asked.

"We need to take the orb so we can collect all 12 orbs to summon the stardust." Gold stiffened up at this, which thankfully went unnoticed by the others, except Varian, who cocked an eyebrow towards the male.

"Why do you need to summon the stardust?"

"We want to wish for Zhan Tiri to be permanently defeated. No more coming back." Rapunzel answered this time.

"How did you find out about the orbs?" 

"I read our parent's old journals and stuff." Soul answered as Gold let out a loud huff.

"Which I am STILL mad about."

Mira placed a small kiss on Gold's temple. "Well, you have every right to be, darling." 

"So Mira knows, but I don't?" Soul asked, emphasizing on herself.

"Please don't be mad at him or me, sweetie. All the guardians swore not to tell a word." Mira explained as she took Gold's arm and linked it with hers, looking at Soul with a sad expression. "Well, except for Gene since he wasn't born yet when, uh, the event happened."

This made everyone look at the blond man with wide eyes. "But Gold's not a guardian...Are you?" 

Gold sighed, tousling his hair. "I'm a guardian. But It's not the orbs I'm protecting. I'm sorry, Soul, but I can't tell you what."

The room went silent after that. No one spoke a word as Soul just stared at her brother with disbelief. What else does don't know about? For all she knew, she could only be adopted with this turn of events. I mean, no memories of her parents, her brother not wanting to tell anything about them, or him not wanting her to learn anything about them. She just got to wonder.

"So, uhm...Why don't I show you all to your rooms?" Mira suggested, breaking the silence. "I sure hope you guys will be staying for Christmas and New year? I mean, Taurus' peak is not until January 20 next year."

"That would be great! Thank you. And we would love to stay for the holidays." Rapunzel answered.

Mira smiled, beckoning for the group to follow her. "Great! Follow me." 

Everyone stood up, following the woman. Gold went to follow them when Mira stopped him, not before telling Rapunzel that she'll catch up with them upstairs. "If you're planning on going after Soul, I suggest not."

"Why? She deserves an explanation." Gold confusedly asked.

"And what explanation are you going to give her? You know you can't tell anything about what happened that night." _She's right..._ He thought.

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, she won't forget about this. That's a fact." Mira sighed before looking up at the man with a determined yet pained expression. "You know what you have to do."

Gold gasped at the woman's suggestion. "She'll be heartbroken! She just recently got out, exploring the world-."

"What choice do we have? Do YOU have? Plus, it's only until this whole Zhan Tiri thing is over." Mira pushed, cutting off her lover. "And you've done it before. What difference does it make now?"

"The difference is that she's changed! She's not that child who would believe in everything I say anymore." Gold exasperatedly countered.

"Look, I only met Soul, and I haven't interacted much with her yet, but I care for her too. Trust me. It's better than having her-."

"I know, I know. I get it." He quickly said, waving a hand, bringing his other hand to his face. Mira cupped Gold's cheek, giving him a sad smile before going up the stairs. 

Gold watched Mira walk upstairs before slumping on the couch, covering his face with his hands. He slowly brought his hands down, looking up the ceiling. 

"What am I going to do. I can't lose her. Not again. Not anymore." He whispered, closing his eyes, not noticing a certain teen eavesdropping on their conversation. 


	53. Chapter 52: I've Got My Eyes On You

Soul sadly sighed as she eyed the room before her, watching both her animal companions zoom around. It's been two days since they arrived in the village of Fritzburg, and two days since she's been blatantly ignoring her brother. Though, the latter was kind of hard to do as they both shared a room together. She took in a deep breath, blankly staring at the ceiling.

"Hoot! Hoot!" Sir Hoots hooted, catching the girl's attention.

"What is it, Hoots?" Soul asked, cocking her head to the side to look at the owl.

Hoots just tilted his head, and just like that, the two were like in a telepathic conversation as Soul seemed to understand what he was trying to say.

"Look I'm not mad. Maybe sad, but I'm not mad! Really." She replied, sheepishly waving her hands towards the owl. Her reply made both Hoots and Flick narrow their eyes at her. "Honest!"

_ Gaaaazzzeeee _

"Alright... I give. But can you really blame me for ignoring him? All this time, I thought that not having any memories of my parents was just normal since they died when I was younger. But turns out...it's  _ more _ than that, and Gold has been keeping something big from me.  _ Something _ involving our parents. And seeing that the guardians are involved, it's far more bigger than I imagined." Soul sighed, turning to her side. "Uggghh! My life suddenly became more complicated than what I thought it already was." She whined, thrashing around on the bed.

"Oh, it's complicated.  _ More complicated _ than you know." Flick said to Hoots, who sighed, nodding his head.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed into the pillow she grabbed.

"I take it you're  _ not  _ alright?" Varian asked, leaning on the door frame, smirking at the girl.

"Don't you know it's impolite to not knock, especially when entering the opposite gender's room? What if I was changing?" Soul replied, sitting up as she narrowed her eyes towards the teen.

Varian blushed. "I- At least you're not, right?" He then cleared his throat. "So, how are you holding up?" He asked, sitting next to the girl. "I'm sure all this information is rattling your brain."

Soul nodded, leaning her head on the boy's shoulder. "At first, I didn't mind the secrecy behind our parents and their work and stuff. But knowing that Gold's a guardian and ALL of the other guardians know about what happened before I forgot about half my life is just...overwhelming." She sighed. 

"Is this why you've been ignoring him?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I-I just thought it would be better than...possibly arguing with him again, and we had enough of those before."

"You know, I was getting dad vibes from Gold." Varian laughed.

"Dad vibes?"

"Yeah, it's like I saw my dad in him."

"Really? Your dad? Why? How?" Soul asked, looking up at Varian from his shoulder.

"He's like Gold, in a way. You see, dad's been keeping a lot of secrets from me as well. From what happened to my mother to his past. We were never open to each other. I just recently learned that he was in this brotherhood or something from the dark kingdom almost a year ago before we met you." He explained, recalling their fights whenever he would ask his dad about his mother or anything about his past. He also remembered the small fight they had, moments before the amber incident.

"I'm sorry." Soul whispered, catching Varian's attention.

"What for?"

"Looking at your face, although you seem to be joking about seeing a bit of your dad in my brother, I can tell that this is bringing you bad memories." She said, taking his hand, circling her thumb through his gloved hands.

"It's not your fault. You didn't ask for this, and neither did I. But I guess, this makes life more exciting." Varian smiled as he entwined his hand with hers.

"You know...your presence alone eases me, and I don't know what to make of it." Soul quietly admitted her cheeks flushing. "It's like my worries melt away when I'm with you."

"I'm glad you feel that way. Just know I'll always be here for you. You can trust in me." 

"Who said  _ you _ could enter  _ my _ room?" Gold shouted, startling the two. "Get. OUT." He said, pointing his thumb behind him, gesturing for the alchemist to leave.

Soul gave the teen an apologetic smile before waving goodbye. Varian stood up, bowing his head as he exited the room, avoiding Gold's cold glare.

"You don't have to be so mean to him just because he's a boy, you know." Soul said, crossing her arms.

"Hmph! He was  _ too _ close to you." Was all Gold said as he closed the door. He kicked his shoes off as he got on his bed, flopping down behind his sister. "So..." He trailed off, trying to start a conversation to ease the tension. "How did you meet the princess and her entourage?"

"Xavier led them to me." 

Gold looked up, racking his brain, remembering who Xavier was. "Oh! The candy store owner?"

"Nope! That's Monty. Xavier's the blacksmith guy. The one with the legends and stuff." Soul corrected, giggling at the thought of Monty in Xavier's position.

"Oh, yeah, I knew him." He snapped his fingers. "I passed by his place once or twice whenever I was in the Capital. I always try to avoid him. Once that man tells a legend, he never ends."

"I find his story-telling fascinating. It's how I met him." She said, picking up Flick and placing him on her lap, stroking his fur. "He might seem boring at first, but Xavier's a good man. He kept me company during the two years you were gone."

"I see." 

The silence around the two after that was almost deafening. You can tell that even the animals were uncomfortable with the silence. Usually, when two siblings haven't seen each other in two years, they would be ecstatic to see each other again. But, with these two, that didn't seem to be the case. Their reunion went on to a...rough start: Gold learning that Soul touched the forbidden items of their parents, and Soul learning that not only her brother is alive, but is also keeping something big from her. You can't really blame them for acting awkward around each other.

"Soooooo..." Gold started again. "Did you do what I told you to do? I mean, you said that Xavier led them to you, so I'm assuming that you let them into our house or something like that." He asked again.

"Mhm." Soul hummed in reply. "I led them through the long path like you asked. Poor Varian, though." 

"Why? What happened to him?"

"He almost got fooled by a fae." 

"Oh?" Gold raised an eyebrow as Soul nodded her head.

"I know that when the forest creatures do that it means that they see someone as a threat. But I think Varian's a good guy, so yeah, I saved him." Soul finished, remembering her first meeting with the boy. She was quite anxious when she formally met him. After all, Varian had quite the reputation as someone who always caused chaos around Old Corona. But when he was about to get hypnotized by the fae, Soul remembered the young boy she would always see around the forest, collecting materials and possible alchemy ingredients whilst interacting with some of the animals, reminding her that maybe he isn't that bad. And so far, she was right. Varian had been nothing but a sweetheart. She really wished that she didn't push him away at first, or anyone for that matter. 

"Well, with that information, I'm going to continue hating him." Gold said, raising his arms and placing them under his head.

"I really don't see why you hate him so much." Soul said, turning her body to face her brother. 

"Just because you like him, doesn't mean I have to as well. And you, liking him makes me hate him even more." He replied.

"I- I don't-"

"Stop, you're  _ not _ fooling anyone." Gold interrupted. "I'm your brother, I know you. Plus, during the three days I was traveling with you, it was quite obvious that you like him. "

"W-where's your proof?" She inquired, fumbling with her thumbs.

"Aside from your red face right now? Well, you've never had quite the interest in Alchemy, unless it was for cleaning purposes and some minor experiments. But seeing as you actively talk about it with Mr. Explosive, already says a lot." Gold answered. "Also, not to mention that you only spoke to me again after I've acted mean to him, jumping in to defend him like that.

"What's wrong with talking about Alchemy? And is my face really red?" Soul quietly asked, looking at the fox on her lap, who nodded its head. "And besides, we talk about a lot of stuff too, you know! Not just alchemy. And for the last part, it's true though! You didn't need to be so mean to him."

"Either way, you still like him and that doesn't mean I should as well." He said as he closed his eyes, relaxing on the bed. "Besides, Eugene may or may not have slipped once...or twice."

Soul gasped, "Oh, come on, Eugene!"

"I'm just gonna sleep. Goodnight!" Gold said, turning to his side.

"H-hey! You're gonna sleep? It's almost night time and you're still gonna sleep?"

"Just a small catnap. I'm tired. This had been an eventful week for me." He replied.

"You call  _ yours _ eventful? What about  _ my _ week?" Soul remarked, earning a small grunt from her brother. "Goooold!"

The man let out a long sigh, standing up. "Alright, alright. I'm not sleeping anymore." He says as he flopped back down, snoring loudly.

Soul just shook her head, leaving the room with Hoots in tow as Flick jumped off her arms to lay down on the man's stomach. Once he was sure that his sister was far enough, he opened an eye, stroking Flick's fur.

"I'm sure you know it too, Flick...About what happened to her?" He asked the fox. "Do you think I should...lock her up inside again? You know, forbid her from going out until this whole ordeal is done?"

Flick bowed his head down, his ears flopping down.

"You don't think it's a good idea?" The fox shook his head no. "Then what are we gonna do?" Flick just shrugged as Gold sighed in exasperation. "What am _ I  _ gonna do?"

\---------------------------------------

"Hey, Varian, where's Raps and the others?" Soul greeted the alchemist, who seemed to be working on something on the floor of the living room by the fireplace as she looked around to see no sign of the princess, the frog, Eugene, and the children.

"Oh, hey again, and they're not here at the moment. They decided to visit Lance at the clinic." Varian responded, not taking his eyes off the small machine he's building, screwing one of the pieces together.

The girl decided to sit next to the busy teen, watching him as Ruddiger hopped off his owner's head to settle himself on Soul's lap.

"What are you building?" She asked, observing the machine.

"Trying to rebuild an old invention I once did." Varian vaguely answered, securing the valve. "Can you please pass me that screw over there?" He asked, gesturing to one of the screws next to her.

Soul picked the screw up, giving it to him. "Here."

"Thanks, love." Varian said, not realizing the pet name he used as he continued to work on his machine, putting his goggles down.

Ruddiger waved his hands in front of the girl's face, who seemed to be quite shocked at what she heard. Did she hear him correctly? Did he actually just called her love? DID HE MEAN IT?

The two stayed on the floor for almost an hour. Varian worked on his invention while Soul was reading her parents’ Zodiac book. 

"Hey, guys! We're back!" Eugene shouted, slamming the door open, startling the two, Varian specifically.

"Could you keep it down, Flynn? I'm trying to work here." He requested, giving the man a small glare.

"Gold's asleep as well, so you should really be quiet." Soul added.

"At this time?" Rapunzel asked, entering the house.

"Apparently, so."

"Anyway, look who's back!!!" Eugene exclaimed, jazzing his hands as Lance entered the house with both Catalina and Kiera sitting on his shoulders while Gene hung behind him.

"Lance! You're alright!" Varian cheered, pushing his goggles back on his head.

"Hey! How are you doing, little man?" Lance greeted, finger gunning.

"I'm fine, thanks. I'm just working on an invention." Varian grinned, gesturing to the pile of metal and tools on the floor.

Rapunzel squinted her eyes towards the machine, gasping. "Hey, I recognize that machine! Is that the-"

"Shhhh! Don't spoil the surprise." 

"Surprise? Kid, that invention of yours is hardly a surprise. We've seen it before." Eugene said, cocking a brow.

"No, we haven't. What is it, V?" Kiera asked, jumping down from Lance's shoulder to inspect the unfinished project.

"Don't touch that." Varian deadpanned, gently swatting the child's hand away. "And it's a surprise."

Kiera hummed. "Eugene, what is that?" 

"It's this invention he entered in the science expo two years ago. I think it's called-OOF!" Varian quickly placed his gloved hand over Eugene's mouth.

"SHHHHHHHHHH!"

“MMASNDASDKDKFEJ!!”

“It’s nice to see that you guys got livelier.” Mira said, wiping her hands on her apron, holding it out after. “Oh, you must be Lance. My name’s Mirajane, but you can just call me Mira.” 

Lance stared at the hand, nervously sweating. 

“Is there something wrong?” The red-haired woman asked, looking at him confusedly. 

“Nothing!” He replied, a bit too quickly, clearing his throat. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Mira.” Lance finally replied, grabbing her hand, shaking it a few times before releasing a sigh of relief.

“Ohoho! I know what’s wrong with Lance.” Eugene smirked. “Sorry, buddy. Lovely Mira is already taken by Soul’s brother.”

“Oh! Hehe, sorry. He’s quite the lucky one, eh?” Lance chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

Mira giggled before turning to the others. “I made cookies for everyone as well as hot chocolate. Come, let’s eat.”

“Oh, yeah! Cookies!” Gene squealed, jumping off Lance’s back, running towards the dining area. Kiera and Catalina following him.

“I’m gonna go make sure they don’t finish them all.” Soul said, standing up from the floor before running after the children.

“I doubt that she’s there to stop them.” Eugene commented.

“Very. I bet she’s gulping those cookies down with them. She does have quite the sweet tooth.” Varian added, smiling warmly.

“So, Varian! What’s with the secrecy with your electromagnetic regifier?” Rapunzel asked.

“E _ lemental remogrifier _ .” The alchemist corrected. “And it’s a secret because this machine would help me make the best Christmas gift for Soul!”

“Awww! You really like her, huh?” Mira cooed.

“I- yeah. I guess…” Varian replied, averting his gaze as he played with his feet.

“Oh, he does alright! Did you know that this dashing young man was planning on confessing before we met Gold?” Eugene revealed, slumping an arm around the teen’s shoulders.

“Oh. Well, I’m sure now that you’ve met Gold you’d be asking for his blessing first, right?” 

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Varian sighed. “I think he doesn’t like me that much.”

“He’s just being a brother. I’m sure you’ll win him over soon.”

“Hey, you guys would probably want to eat with us now. The cookies are almost gone.” Soul announced, peeking out of the dining area. “Who knew Gene had a severe sweet tooth like me.”

“Are you sure it’s Gene who’s eating all of the cookies?” Varian asked, smirking at the girl.

“I swear, it’s not me!” Soul pouted.

“Well, let’s not waste time and eat with them. I’m quite hungry.” Eugene said, patting his stomach.

“I’ll catch up with you guys. I’m just gonna clean this up.” Varian waved, kneeling on the floor, picking up his tools one by one when he saw another hand picking up the items.

“Here, let me help.” Soul said, not looking at the teen.

“But the cookies? Aren’t you afraid that by the time we’re done they’d be no more?”

“It’s fine. Plus, I had my share.” She replied, placing the tools inside his bag. “See? Much faster with help!”

Varian just chuckled, zipping up his bag, carrying it. “I’ll be back. I’m just gonna put this away inside Gene and mine’s room.” Soul nodded her head at him as he proceeded to walk up the stairs. 

Once upstairs, he walked down the hall, navigating his way towards his shared room when he noticed Gold, coming out of his room, stretching. Varian sucked in a deep breath, steering his way out of the blond man’s path, avoiding him.

“Hey, Varian, was it?” Gold called, much to the alchemist’s horror.

“Yes, sir?” Varian politely asked, hoping to win some good points.

“I’m advising you to stay away from my sister starting today, got it?” Gold narrowed his eyes at him. “In fact, I want you to cut any ties you have with her. Whether it be friendship or something, I advise you to end it.”

“With all due respect, sir-”

“Just call me Gold. No need for formalities. I won’t bow down anyway.” 

Varian gulped. “Well, Gold, I don’t think you have any say as to who Soul can and cannot talk to, let alone, who her friends should be.” He said, turning around to fully face the man, stopping himself from shrinking a bit as the man towered over him.

“I’m her brother, I know what’s best for her. And what’s best for her is if she stays away from you.” Gold threw back, crossing his arms. “From  _ all _ of you.”

“What do you mean from all of us? You don’t mean that even Rapunzel is not good enough to be her friend?” Varian questioned, clenching his fist.

Gold shook his head, “It’s not that. Rapunzel is a great girl, as well as the others, but I have a different reason as to why she should stay away from them, whereas I have different reasons for you.” He said, walking away.

“Does this reason have something to do with you planning to forbid Soul from going out again- OOF!”

THUMP!

“How did you know about that?” Gold lowly growled as he picked Varian up by his collar.

“I...I heard your conversation with Mira.” Varian choked out, struggling a bit as he held Gold’s arms to keep himself slightly elevated. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

Gold's eyes went wide at the information. He heard? This is bad...“You better keep this to yourself, or else! Got it?”

“Why- OOF!” Varian grunted as Gold harshly pinned him to the wall.

“I said, got it?” The man snarled.

“Y-yes, sir…” 

Gold glared at him one more time before dropping the boy to the ground. “Good. I’ve got my eye on you, kid. Spill and, well, let’s hope we won’t find out what happens if you do.” Was all he said before leaving.

Varian coughed, kneeling on the floor catching his breath as he watched Gold walk down the stairs. “I guess I can safely say that he hates me, now.” Varian whispered as Ruddiger, who hid when Gold appeared, chittered, jumping on his shoulder. “Poor Soul, though…”

“I hope that scares him enough not to tell anyone what he heard. I feel sort of bad, though.” Gold thought out loud. “But, it had to be done. And besides, it’s true that-”

“What’s true?” Gold halted, startled as he bumped into Lance.

“Oh, uhm. Nothing.” He coughed. 

“I don’t believe I met you before, the name’s Lance Strongbow!” Lance greeted, smiling.

“Ahh, we actually met before.” Gold casually said, pointing up his index finger. “But I don’t blame you, your mind must have been woozy since you were sick. But it’s nice to formally meet you, Lance.” Holding his hand out.

“Likewise!” As soon as their hands touched, Gold’s eyes went wide. Something wasn’t right. “Anyways, I’m going up now. I’m still quite tired.”

“Oh, sure. I hope you have a good rest.” Lance nodded his head, walking up. Gold looked down at his hand before shrugging the feeling off.

“You just missed tea time, Gold.” Eugene stated as he exited the dining room. “Had a good sleep?”

“Yep! Nice and comfy.” The latter responded.

“Good morning!” Soul greeted, exiting the dining room along with Raps. “Did you somehow run into Varian? He said he was just going to put his stuff away but he never came back.”

“Yeah, he said he was tired and decided to sleep instead.” Gold smoothly lied. “Poor boy is so hard-working.”

“He really is. Anyways, I’ll be-

"Oh, Soul! I want you to stay here for a bit.” Mira called interrupting the girl. Soul looked at her brother before shrugging.

"Hmm? What is it?" Soul asked, walking towards the woman.

"Are you free right now? I was wondering if you could help me plan something?" Mira replied, swaying on her feet.

"I am, and sure! I don't mind." Soul smiled, watching Mira bounce happily. "So what are we planning exactly?"

"For the Christmas Party, of course!" Mira exclaimed. "Christmas is in a few days, and since there's a lot of us here, why not throw a small party? This would be a good way to loosen up as well, considering that you guys got a rough year."

Soul scoffed playfully."Tell me about it. What do you have in mind?"

Mira grabbed Soul's hand, dragging her to the dining table as she grabbed a piece of parchment lying conveniently near them, grabbing a bottle of ink and quill as well. "I was thinking, maybe we could host a small secret Santa? That way, everybody gets a gift!"

"That's not a bad idea, yeah! We should do that. But..." Soul trailed off, shyly glancing at the redhead. "We can still give gifts to anyone we like to, right?"

"Of course!" Mira nodded. "Christmas is a time of giving, so giving gifts to more than one person is perfectly fine."

"Yay! Oh! Oh! Oh!" Soul gasped as an idea popped up in her mind. "We should host games as well!"

"That's a wonderful idea!" She wrote it down under secret Santa. "Next, is the food."

"GRILLED CHEESE!" The astrologer shouted, startling the woman. Realizing what she did, Soul coughed, clearing her throat. "I-I mean...can we have grilled cheese?"

"I don't think grilled cheese is an appropriate food to serve at Christmas parties.." Mira responded, scratching her cheek. "Oh, why the heck not! Okay." She finally gave in as Soul gave a small victory dance. Mira shook her head, laughing lightly as they continued to plan out what to do for the party more.

Meanwhile, upstairs…

“Now where would they put it...” A low voice asked themselves as they scanned the hallway, stopping outside a certain room, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Christmas go brr~~


	54. Chapter 53: Christmas Time part 1

((December 16))

"Alright, everyone gather round! We have something we would like to announce." Mira called, hollering the gang inside the living room.

"What's up, Mirs?" Gold asked, flopping down on the couch, placing his leg on top of his knee, hitting Varian in the process as the teen was sitting on the floor. "Oops. Sorry." He wasn't.

"It's fine.." Varian quietly groaned, rubbing his arm.

"So, what's this announcement about?" Rapunzel asked as well, sitting on Eugene's lap since all of the seats were taken.

Mira cleared her throat, gesturing for Soul to join her centerstage. "Soul and I have been planning something to make our Christmas more fun, special, and memorable."

"Instead of like, you know, a normal Christmas feast and gift-giving and opening and stuff like that. We thought, why not just make it a full-blown Christmas Party?" Soul spoke up.

"So that's what we're doing!" Mira finished as Soul brought out a small paper, reading its contents out loud.

" Here's the schedule." Soul started, clearing her throat. "The party is on Christmas Eve, which is December 24, starting at 6:00 pm, held here, of course! From 6:00-8:00 pm, we would be playing some party games created by Mira and yours truly. There would be small prizes for the winners for each game too!"

At the word 'prizes', winning the games became the kids and Eugene's goal. Yes. Eugene. Rapunzel could care less about the prizes because she just wants to enjoy Christmas with her friends, while Varian was completely uninterested. Games are just not his thing.

"We are so winning those games! Right, Lance?" Eugene enthusiastically declared, nudging his best friend, who didn't look as enthused as him.

"I don't really care much about the prizes." Lance replied.

"But you _love_ prizes? _And_ winning!" Eugene frowned.

"W-what I mean is- I just want to spend Christmas without thinking of those stuff, you know?" Lance said, stammering a bit.

"He's right, Eugene. Christmas ain't about the winning." Gold agreed. "It's about the food!"

"And here I thought you were serious for once." Soul sighed, shaking her head before continuing. "Conveniently, the next on the schedule is food. 8:00-10:00 pm would be dinner AKA, the Christmas Feast! Is two hours too long or too short? We can shorten it or make it longer or something if you guys want." She asked, twiddling with her thumbs.

"Make it longer." Gold said.

"Definitely." Eugene agreed, resulting in Rapunzel pulling on his ear.

"Two hours is fine, Soul." Rapunzel replied.

"Yeah, I'd say it's fine. You don't need to fret about it." Varian smiled, reassuring the astrologer, who thankfully nodded at him.

Soul smiled in return before clearing her throat once again as she continued to read the schedule. "T-then, uhm. After dinner, we will be having a small bonding moment. You know, just talk to each other, tell Christmas stories and stuff like that while we wait for Christmas where we would be exchanging gifts." She finished, looking at everyone, asking if there were any objections.

"The party sounds like it's going to be a blast!" Rapunzel exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

"Oh! You forgot something, Soul." Mira called as the girl hummed in confusion. "We added a small twist to the gift-giving. To ensure that everyone gets a gift, we decided to host a Secret Santa!"

"A secret Santa?" Gene asked, tilting his head.

Soul nodded. "It's where you write your name on a piece of paper, toss it in a basket or hat, then the names are randomly distributed to the participants. Since it's secret Santa, you're not allowed to tell anyone who you will be giving a present to." She explained, pointing her index finger up in a knowing way.

"Ohhh!"

"With that said!" Soul pulled a small pouch from her pocket, opening it up as she began distributing the pieces of paper. "I know I said the person would be writing the name and such, but I thought that would take a bit too long, so I premade it!"

"Uhm- Soul?" Varian called, catching the girl's attention. "Why are _you_ giving us the names?"

"I was wondering that too." Kiera commented. "From what I know, we would be the ones picking the paper."

"O-oh, uhm, really?" The astrologer asked, flushing.

Kiera nodded. "Haven't you participated in this sort of thing before?" She asked, earning her a small nudge from both Catalina and Varian. "What? I was just asking."

"To answer your question." Gold interjected. "It was only just the two of us celebrating Christmas every year. We just exchanged gifts before or after eating, and then we go straight to sleep." He answered, putting his leg down, once again, hitting Varian in the process. "Actually, this would be our first time celebrating Christmas with other people."

Soul frowned. "I'm sorry. I thought I was doing it right since it was what I understood from the book I once read."

"It's fine! You were doing great, Soul!" Catalina encouraged, giving the astrologer a thumbs up and a huge smile.

"How about let's just put the papers back in the pouch, and then we'll pass it around so we could all pick?" Rapunzel suggested. Thankfully, everyone agreed and placed their papers back in the pouch.

"I'll go first!" Mira exclaimed, taking the pouch from Soul's hand, grabbing a piece of paper inside.

"Me next!" Gene declared, raising his hand as he took the pouch, grabbing a paper as well. Soon enough, the pouch was passed around everyone, and after they've read who they got, there were a few people who weren't satisfied with their receiver.

"Seriously? How am I _this_ unlucky?" Gold complained, glaring at his paper.

"You and me both, brother." Soul agreed, also glaring at her paper. Although, hers was more of a joking kind of glare. Meanwhile, Varian was over the moon and was more than satisfied with who he got. He was already silently declaring himself the luckiest man on Earth with his person, and he was struggling to hide his excitement.

"Alright, now that everyone got their persons, we all have..." Mira began counting on her fingers. "Nine days to think and buy a gift. You're also allowed to give anyone you like a gift, not just your person, since Christmas _is_ a time of giving."

"Also, we would be decorating the house tomorrow! Anyone is free to come to join and help us." Soul followed up, bouncing on the heels of her feet.

"You seem excited." Varian stated, walking towards the girl as everyone scattered around since the small meeting was over.

"I've never decorated a house for Christmas before. The only thing I've decorated was this small Christmas tree we had since we didn't have enough decorations for the whole treehouse. I also always wanted to put a star on top of it. But we didn't have a star ornament, though." She shared, squishing her cheeks. "Have you?"

"Yeah. A lot of times, actually."

"Lucky you!" 

Varian laughed, nodding his head. "I've to help Dad decorate the house before. It was quite fun! We hung up green and red garlands all around the exterior of the house, hanging a few ornaments here and there, as well as some luminescent lights I made. Oh! We also built snowmen outside as well as a few ice sculptures! The decorations for the interiors were mostly the same, but we changed some of the rugs and pillows to match the colors of Christmas." He exclaimed, hyping the astrologer up even more.

"I'm even more excited to decorate now!" Soul squealed in delight. Varian happily watched the girl gush about the upcoming festivity more when he felt like someone's gaze was burning through his skull.

Glancing behind the rambling astrologer, he met a certain man's gaze, glaring at him. Varian swallowed the lump in his throat, looking away from the man as he continued to listen to Soul, not caring if her brother was going to kill him later. Surely, Gold would spare Varian at least until after Christmas or New Year, right?

"Oh! By the way, when are you going to buy your gift for your person?" Soul asked, looking up at the alchemist with big wondering eyes.

"It's a secret!" Varian replied, putting a finger over his lips as he gave her a small wink.

"Aww, I was hoping we could go and buy them together." Soul pouted. "I-I mean, better than traveling around alone, right? We don't want to end up like Lalo hehe." She sheepishly chuckled, averting her gaze away.

"I'm sorry. Maybe you could ask the others if they would like to join you? Although, I don't think it would be a good idea to buy the gifts with everyone else. I mean, what if your person realizes that you are their secret Santa?"

"I'm not just buying gifts for my person. I'm planning on giving everyone a gift! And I maybe should not have said that out loud..." Soul trailed off, frowning a bit. "That was supposed to be a surprise.."

"What? What was that? I didn't really hear anything." Varian smiled, cupping his ear, leaning towards the girl.

"Nothing, nothing." The astrologer giggled. "You heard nothing."

"Good." Varian proudly huffed before joining in on the giggling a few seconds later.

"Anyway, I'm going upstairs. I'll be thinking up what to give y-uhhh- thinking up ideas! You know? Hehe, see you!" And with that, she ran up, leaving a romantically dazed alchemist smiling up the stairs.

"Having fuuun?" Eugene asked, suddenly leaning by the staircase with a teasing smile on his face. "I'm starting to think you're falling in deeper everyday."

"GAH! Eugene! Where did you come from? You almost gave me a heart attack!" Varian shrieked, jumping back.

"You do know that you _need_ to get to the brother before the girl first, right?" Eugene said, checking his nails.

"Ugh, stop reminding me." Varian groaned, bringing his hand down from his face. "I'm _still_ working on that, and I don't think there's any progress. _At all_." He added, sighing.

"Hey, he'll come around. You just need to show him what made Soul like you- as a friend!" The man hurriedly followed, saving his small mistake to which the alchemist, fortunately did not notice.

"Did you _see_ the way he was glaring at me earlier?" Varian exasperatedly replied, throwing his arms in front of him. "He looked like he was ready to kill me any second!"

"He was? Know what? Never mind!" Eugene waved his hands. "The point is! You just wait a bit, alright? They haven't seen each other for two years, and maybe Gold is just in his protective brother mode. He'll come around."

 _Oh, he's in his protective brother mode, alright._ Varian just sighed, slumping his shoulders. 

"Hey, it'll be okay. I promise. I know you can do this." Eugene smiled, placing a hand on Varian's shoulder before yawning. "I'm gonna take a small nap. The cold's making me even more sluggish than I normally am."

"Eugene! Come on, come with me to the square!" Rapunzel called, appearing from the kitchen, clinging onto her lover's arm. "Mira said that there's usually a sale around this time until Christmas."

"Can't we go tomorrow?" Eugene requested.

Rapunzel shook her head. "I'm planning on checking the market today and buy tomorrow."

"Why not just check and buy at the same time? Why do it on separate days?" Varian asked, tilting his head a bit to the side. "I mean, isn't it much more tiring going on separate days when you can just do both at the same time?"

"Well..." Rapunzel dropped Eugene's arm, glancing to the side, her cheeks tinted pink.

Eugene raised a brow, confused with the woman's strange behavior. "Everything okay, Sunshine?"

"I just thought that maybe we could catch some alone time? I mean, it's been a while since we last went on a date." She shyly admitted, causing Eugene's eyes to soften up.

"You didn't have to use the gift shopping as an excuse to spend time with me. If you wanted to, you should have just said so." He said, kissing the woman's forehead. "Alright, I'll go with you."

Rapunzel beamed happily, jumping up to hug Eugene. "I'll go get my satchel." She said as she pulled away, running upstairs.

"Welp! There goes my plan of sleeping." Eugene said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But at least she's happy."

Varian just smiled at his friend, slightly envious that he could freely show his affection. Well, Eugene and Raps ARE engaged, so of course, they would be affectionate towards each other. He just wonders what he should do to possibly win Gold over, so he could do the same soon.

"Alright, I'm ready!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "I left Pascal with his friends. I didn't know that an owl, a fox, a raccoon, and a chameleon could get along so well."

"Heh, yeah. Nature really does surprise you sometimes." Varian chuckled. "Though, I have to admit. I'm starting to miss Ruddiger, he rarely hangs around me anymore. The only time we spend time together is when we're sleeping. It's kinda getting lonely without him." He admitted.

"Aww! Why don't you tell him that?"

"Yeah, I probably should. Anyway, you two have fun on your date! I'll be in Gene and I's room, working more on my invention." Eugene and Rapunzel nodded their heads, waving goodbye at the alchemist as they exited the house.

Varian waved at the door before dropping his hand, proceeding to go up, seeing Catalina and Kiera talking outside their room. "What are you girls doing out here?"

"Oh! Hi, V! We're just waiting for Lance to open up. Ever since the meeting ended, he's been locked up inside." Catalina answered, looking up from her conversation with her sister.

"He didn't exactly tell us what he's been doing, but he says he needed 'privacy'." Kiera added, rolling her eyes and air quoting privacy.

"Oh, well. Have fun, you two." He said, earning a chorus of 'we will' from the two girls. Varian knocked on Gene's door, and when he didn't get a reply, he let himself in to find the room empty, aside from Ruddiger, who was sleeping on the bed. "Hey there, bud. I thought you were with Flick and the other animals?"

Ruddiger's ears twitched at the sound of Varian's voice as he chittered, stretching his limbs. "Tired?" Varian asked, sitting beside his furry friend. Ruddiger shook his head no, standing up and climbing on his owner's shoulder, snuggling into the crook of Varian's next, chittering happily. Varian chuckled, petting the raccoon's head. "I missed this." He said before proceeding to sit down on the carpeted floor to continue repairing his elemental remogrifier. After all, he needed to repair it at least before Christmas.

A few seconds in and Varian slapped the front of his forehead as he remembered Soul's invitation and what Rapunzel said to Eugene. "I'm such an idiot. Why did I just realize that now?"

========(December 17)====================

"THERE'S SO MUCH DECORATION!!!" Soul squealed as Mira put out boxes and boxes of Christmas decorations. 

"Well, one box won't be enough to decorate the house." Mira chuckled, wiping off sweat from her brows. 

"Okay, this is the last one!" Gold said, coming down from the attic, a larger box in hand.

"That's a big one. What is that?" Kiera asked.

"This," Gold patted the box, placing it down. "Is the Christmas tree! What's Christmas without a Christmas tree."

"THAT'S MUCH BIGGER THAN OURS!" Soul exclaimed, bouncing around, surprising Kiera and Catalina. The two girls have never seen her so excited about something before. She's even more excited than when they were in Aradia.

Gold laughed at his sister's excitement, happy to see her happy. "Anyway, all the decorations are here. Go wild, guys." He said.

Kiera picked up a garland while Catalina picked up an ornament. "So, how are we gonna do this?" The former asked, wrapping the garland around her neck as Catalina hung the ornaments on her sister's ears.

"We could start with the exterior and work our way inside." Rapunzel suggested. "Or maybe we could divide ourselves into groups?"

"A decorating team for the exterior and interior? Sound's like a good plan. I want to decorate outside!" Soul volunteered, raising up her hand.

"No offense, Star Gazer, but I doubt you'll be able to reach anything when decorating outside." Eugene teased as Gold covered his mouth, snickering. 

Soul lit up her hands in fire, glaring at the two. "I implore you to say that again. Come on. I dare you." She threatened, causing the two men to back away, running off. Soul let out a small huff, extinguishing her fiery hand, turning to Mira.

"Alright, the interior team would be Catalina, Kiera, Gene, and- is Lance not joining us?" The woman asked, looking around for the burly man.

"He said that he would like to sleep more." Catalina replied. 

"That's unusual." Varian said, raising a brow.

"I don't blame him if he wants to rest more. He did just recover from a cold." Rapunzel countered. 

"Well, if he's not joining, can you kids handle decorating the interior? You just need to decorate the staircase, the fireplace, the doors, and the walls. We'll be decorating the Christmas tree together after all. "

"We can handle it!" They merrily chorused.

"Great! The rest of us will decorate the exteriors." Mira exclaimed, grabbing one of the boxes, asking help from Varian and Rapunzel to bring the other boxes outside.

A few minutes later, the exterior group is now all rounded up outside in their winter clothes, examining the house. "Okay, so should we go all out?" Rapunzel asked, placing both her hands on her hips.

"I don't exactly have a plan, so yeah! Let's go all out." Mira replied, grabbing a bunch of garlands, placing them above the door on top of a nail to hold them. She then proceeded to hang them above and around the windows as well.

Rapunzel grabbed a few ornaments, hanging them on the garland in an arranged manner. Soul grabbed a few ornaments as well, attempting to hang them on the garlands by the windows, like what Rapunzel did. Keyword, ATTEMPTED.

"I hate this...." Soul pouted, glaring at the garland above the windows. She was about to just place the ornaments on the places she could reach when she suddenly felt her feet leave the ground, feeling elevated. "What?"

"Need a lift, M'lady?" Varian said, below her.

"V-varian, what are you doing?" She asked, feeling her cheeks heating up.

"You can reach them now, right?" Soul looked at the garlands. _I can reach them now!_ She hung the ornaments she was holding, peeking at Rapunzel's work every now and then as well as asking Varian to grab her a few. A few minutes passed, and Soul was now looking proudly at her work.

"You can put me down now, Var!"

"Hmmm, maybe a little later?"

"Varian!"

Varian laughed before squatting, letting the girl get off his shoulders. After that, he helped her finish decorating the window. "Where to next?"

"I want to decorate more of the windows." Soul answered, grabbing some garland and ornaments.

"Well, come on! I'll help you up." He offered, leading the girl to another one of the windows. Soon enough, all of the exterior windows were beautifully decorated.

"What's next, Mira?" Soul excitedly asked.

"That's pretty much all we decorate outside." Mira replied, giving the girl an apologetic smile.

"Aww.. Okay."

"Hmmm, maybe we could build snowmen? You know, as a decoration?" Varian suggested.

"That's not a bad idea! Go ahead!" Rapunzel agreed as Mira nodded her head.

Varian smiled when he saw Soul's face light up. He then proceeded to grab her hand, leading her in front of Mira's stable, where it was spacious enough to roll around snow and build snowmen in.

"Do you think you can roll around the biggest one?" He asked.

Soul nodded her head. "Leave it to me!"

And so the next 10 minutes were spent rolling and collecting snow. After that, it was time to stack them up. Varian lifted the medium-sized snowball, placing it on top of the base Soul made as she placed the smallest one after the teen.

"Since we don't have enough scarves and stuff. Why don't we use this extra garland instead?" She asked, holding up a garland.

"That's fine." He replied as Soul wrapped the garland around the snowman. Varian grabbed a few sticks laying on the ground, as well as some stones, decorating the snowman's features. "Voila!" He exclaimed, revealing the snowman.

"Waaah! He's beautiful!" Soul cheered, clapping.

"That's a pretty cool snowman you guys built there." Eugene commented, Gold, Mira, and Rapunzel behind him. "What's his name?"

"His name is Sylvester, and he's my son!" Soul replied, hugging the snowman. "I love it so much!"

"Your son, eh? Who's the father?" Mira teasingly asked, knowing full well that her boyfriend is fuming at the obvious answer. 

"Judging by who you built him with, I assume it's Varian?" Rapunzel joined in. The implication made Varian sputter out small incoherent things.

Soul nodded. "He is! We did build him together." She happily said, causing the others to snicker, except for a certain fuming blond man.

"Y-yeah." Varian coughed, covering his mouth in an attempt to hide his red face only to be met with a snowball hitting him directly on the face, causing him to fall over.

"Hah! Headshot!" Gold cheered.

"Varian! Are you okay?" 

"I'm...fine..."

"That wasn't very nice of you, Gold." Mira scolded, crossing her arms.

"Live a little, you guys. It's winter! What's a little snowball fi-" It was now Gold's turn to fall over. Everyone turned their heads to see who threw the snowball to see Varian with a panicked look on his face.

"I should not have done that. I'm so sorry!" He shouted.

Gold groaned, wiping his face as he glared at the teen. "This. Is. WAR!"

\------------------------------------

"What happened to you guys?" Kiera asked as the grown-ups entered the house, covered in snow.

"There was a blizzard." Eugene deadpanned.

"It wasn't even snowing earlier."

"A blizzard of snowballs." Varian answered.

"To think you guys should have been the mature ones." Gene said, crossing his arms while shaking his head.

"By the way, we finished decorating inside!" Catalina proudly announced, showing them the living room and the rest of their masterpiece. "At first, we were struggling with the high places, but I found that I can reach them when I turn into my werewolf form. So that was taken care of."

"Good job, you three! I love how you decorated inside." Soul commended, looking around.

"Now, the Christmas tree is what's left!" Mira exclaimed, pulling out another box of decorations.

And with that, the group spent about 20 minutes decorating the tree. It was chaotic. Some of the decorations don't even match each other, since they just kept putting whatever they could grab. Though. as much the decorating was unorganized, they had tons of fun! And that's what really matters the most. The only thing left now was the star on top.

"Hey, Soul." Varian called, catching the lavender-haired girl's attention. "Here." He said, placing the star ornament in her hands.

Soul gasped. "This is-!" She exclaimed, looking up at the teen.

"You said you always wanted to put a star on top of a Christmas tree." He said, rubbing the back of his head. 

"But is it alright, though?"

"Think of it as a commemoration of you're first time spending Christmas with everyone." Mira spoke up, smiling at the girl.

"Then, I want Gold to put it up with me!" Soul said, tugging on her brother's sleeve.

"Ehh? You put it up. Why drag me into this?" He said, scrunching his eyebrows downward.

"Didn't you hear what Mira said? It's a commemoration for the first time spending Christmas with everyone!"

"Yeah, but-"

"I also need help putting it up. Do you think I can reach that?"

"Pfft- here." Gold laughed, picking the girl up, placing her on his shoulder as Soul placed the star on top of the Christmas tree. 

"Tada!" The astrologer cheered as everyone clapped.

"All that's left now are the gifts!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

"Have you thought of what to give your person?" Mira asked her lover as he placed his sister down.

"Yep! Definitely!" Gold answered, smiling brightly.

========(December 20)====================

Five days before Christmas, and Gold still has no idea what to give to his person. He was _very_ tempted to give him some stinky old socks, but he was terrified of what his girlfriend would do to him. Well, he was _more_ terrified with what his sister would do to him, and he does not want to be burnt toast, thank you very much.

Gold sighed as he walked around the village Christmas market, hands in his coat's pockets as he buried his nose in his old and tattered scarf. He could have bought a new one, but his old one was from before he went into a coma and held a sentimental value to him. His eyes scanned the various stalls that loitered around, looking for the perfect gift, when he spotted two familiar people by one of the stalls.

"Do you think Lance would like this kind of thing?" Soul asked, holding up a pair of black boots with gold trimmings and a red jewel on opposite sides of the boots.

Eugene hummed in thought before nodding. "Yeah, I think he would. Lance is more of a practical guy, but he also enjoys himself in jewelry every once in a while." He answered.

Soul grinned, paying the vendor the amount of money needed before tugging Eugene to another stall.

"Oohh! Look at this sick pocket knife!" He exclaimed, picking up the pure silver pocket knife, decorated beautifully with an emerald carved into it's handle. "This is crafted skillfully!" He said, giving it a few practice swings. "Good sir, how much for this knife?"

"200 coins." Eugene's face paled at the price, putting it back down.

"What's wrong?" Soul asked.

"I only have enough coins to buy everyone a small gift. Too bad, I really liked that knife." Eugene replied, sighing sadly, not noticing the astrologer's beaming smile.

"Hey, what are you two doing out here?" Gold asked, walking towards the two.

"We're dancing." They simultaneously answered with a blank expression.

"What do you think we're doing here, Gold?" Soul asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, right. Christmas gifts. Sorry, but what I meant is, _why_ are the two of you specifically together while gift shopping?" Gold said, specifying his earlier question. "You two seem like an unlikely pair."

"Nah, me and Star Gazer are good." Eugene replied, patting Soul's head, who swatted his hand away. "For the most part."

"Have you bought a gift for your person yet?" Soul asked, looking up her brother.

"If I had, I wouldn't bother myself to come out." He replied with the same blank expression they gave him earlier.

"Touche." She shrugged. "And to answer your question. Eugene needed help with thinking of a gift to give Rapunzel, and I needed help giving everyone gifts. So we're here together!"

Gold turned to Eugene. "Why would you need help on what to get for your girlfriend? Shouldn't you know her enough by now?" 

"Would you give Mira something not carefully planned and thought out?" Eugene threw back, crossing his arms while cocking his hip to the side. "Also, she's my fiance now."

"Oh, wow! Congrats! And uhm, I guess no..."

"And that's why I _need_ help. Speaking of which, " Eugene held up a pair of earrings. "Do you think she would like these?" He asked.

Soul hummed in thought, placing a hand under her chin. "Does she wear any kind of jewelry?" Eugene shook his head no. "Then no. It's beautiful, but I think you should get her something she would actually wear, or something more practical."

"Practical. Okay. What do girls need that is practical?"

"A towel." Gold answered before his sister could respond, who in turn, looked at him weirdly.

"A towel?" She confusedly echoed.

"You know, to keep off those blood, every month." He straightforwardly answered, causing his sister to blush in embarrassment and Eugene to tilt his head to the side, not getting what Gold was about.

"Blood? What do you mean?" Eugene asked.

"You know, when a woman gets their period. They bleed from." Gold answered, gesturing downwards, causing Eugene to blush as well.

"Maybe, ahem, something more practical than that."

"What does Rapunzel like most?" Soul asked this time.

"Me?" Cue the howling of laughter from the Rivers siblings. "What? It's true!"

"But are _you_ practical?" Gold asked, wiping a stray happy tear.

"I am!" Eugene pouted.

"We're sticking to items, Eugene. You could give her some loving later, but at least give her an itemized gift. Something that she would treasure."

Eugene thought about it for a moment before his face lit up, running back towards one of the stalls, shouting a quick 'thank you', leaving the siblings alone. 

"Soooo. Did _you_ buy a gift for your person?" Gold asked, looking down at his sister.

Soul turned around, picking up an item from the vendor, paying him the coins needed before turning back to her brother. "I just did now."

Gold's eye twitched in annoyance before sighing, shaking his head. "I'm actually having trouble with mine. Think you can help?"

"Depends. I don't want to spoil the secret Santa! I want to do this properly, and smoothly, and I don't want to be spoiled." Soul answered.

 _Of course, she wants to do it perfectly. Ack- I don't know who to ask anymore._ Gold exasperatedly thought, screaming in his mind. 

"But if it would help. Why don't you spend the day with your person, get to know them-"

"I am NOT spending time with my person!" 

Soul flinched a bit from her brother's outburst. "Okay, then- What about observing them from afar?"

"Hmm, that's not a bad idea." Gold hummed, nodding his head. "Alright, I'll do just that! Thanks, sis!" He exclaimed, ruffling the girl's hair before running off.

"Did...did the both of them just left me here?"

=========(Night time)==========================================

_Glaaaaaaaaaaare_

Varian could hardly focus on his food as Gold kept glaring at him. Ever since the man came home, and Varian taking a break from his invention, Gold has been glaring at him. More than usual, and it's been creeping the poor alchemist out.

_Glaaaaaaaaaare_

_Oh, Demanitus, help me_. Varian cried in his mind. _I really shouldn't have thrown that snowball!_


	55. Chapter 54: Christmas Time prt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N!!
> 
> Henloooos! If you have made it this far, then I would like to thank you so much for reading and supporting my fic! It really means a lot <3   
> And if you're a new reader, what are you doing here? Go back to the start so you know what's happening XD
> 
> or maybe at least until I post the rewrites- oh, right!
> 
> This note is to inform you guys that I'll be rewriting Chapters 1-7, and maybe edit a few stuff in some chapters to suit the changes made in chapters 1-7. Nothing major will be changed and added to the other chapters though, just small grammar edits. With that said, I hope you guys check out the updated version of Chapters 1-7 in a few days or weeks.
> 
> Anyways, that's all! Thank you so much and enjoy readings !! ^_^

((December 23))

Gold couldn't help but stare at the Christmas tree, or rather, the pile of gifts sitting below it. He found it impressive that everyone in that house managed to think up a gift, not just for their secret Santa, but also (probably) for other people in a span of seven days. Just how could they think of what to give and be so sure of it? How could they be so confident? Even Mira and Gene, who barely knew these new people, knew what to give to their secret Santa! But then again, maybe they got along well with their person and found a way to figure out what they liked? The two seemed to be good friends with everyone with their extroverted personalities.

Gold let out a deep sigh, running his hands through his hair. How he wished he could also spend time with his person. To get to know him and possibly get along with him. But how could he? Something's wrong with that boy. He could feel it. There's lingering darkness inside Varian's heart that could be dangerous once he unleashes it. And Gold's afraid that that darkness could further bring harm to his beloved sister. It's bad enough that Soul decided to tag along and join Rapunzel's quest. What made things worse is that the girl has made it her personal quest to know more about _Wisteria and Igneous_.... About _their parents_...

Anyways, aside from that. Gold just doesn't like how close his sister was getting to the boy. Seeing them together makes his blood boil, and it makes him just want to-

"Gold!" Gold snapped out of his thoughts, jolting a bit as he stared at the slightly fuming woman in front of him. "I've been calling you for the past _five minutes_. You've been staring at the Christmas tree for almost 10 minutes now. "

"Oh, hey Mira. What's up?" Gold absentmindedly replied, his mind still exiting his train of thought.

"What's up- nevermind." Mira sighed, shaking her head. "I was just wondering if you wanted to come with me to the market?"

"Nah, I'm-" He stopped mid-sentence. _This is the perfect time to check out the stores once more!_ He cheered in his mind _. Also, the perfect time to know what Mira likes and buy her a gift as well. Varian made me forget I still needed to buy gifts for my sister and my girlfriend. Ughhh! I still don't really know what-_

"Gold!!" Mira snapped, startling the man. "You're spacing out again."

"Oh, sorry." Gold sheepishly replied, scratching his cheek. "Oh, and, yes. I would love to go to the market with you!" He followed.

"Good! I could also need the extra help in carrying the ingredients I'd be buying. It's hard to shop when you're hands are too full."

"So you just wanted me to come to be your helper?" Gold blankly asked as Mira gave him a sweet smile while batting her eyelashes.

"Hihi~ Love you, Gold!"

"Sigh, love you too. Now come on, let's get going."

\----  
The two have been circling the marketplace for about three hours now. The reason is not that Mira was being indecisive (again) since she already knows what to cook for the upcoming party the next day (surprising the male), but because EVERYONE in town was also shopping for ingredients and most of the produce and vegetable stalls were running out of items in the speed of lightning. It took them about 20 minutes just to find good quality potatoes and carrots and another 20 for the meat. But all this running around was a blessing in disguise for Gold, despite him being extremely exhausted now. It gave him the chance to look around some item stalls and stores for a gift, while also observing where Mira's eyes were wandering whenever they would stop by a store.

"Not that I don't mind and also not that I'm rushing because I'm really not. But _why_ do we have to stop by every single store we come across? I mean, I don't exactly mind. It's kind of fun, to be honest. But aren't you tired?" Mira questioned, rambling a bit. "Plus, you're legs-."

"My legs are fine. " Gold answered, albeit a little too quickly as he spun around to face the other direction, clearing his throat. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. This is actually good exercise for my legs. See how long until they break, you know."

"Gold.." The blond man let out a soft gasp as he felt arms wrap around his torso from behind. If his hands weren't too full right now, he would have hugged back, so he just settled with his arms touching the woman's hands. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything about your legs.."

"It's not your fault. You didn't know, heck! Even Dr. Grei didn't know." Gold replied, turning around once more to face his lover. "I'll be fine. So turn that frown upside down, love. A frown doesn't suit your angelic features." He added, smiling.

Mirajane couldn't help but smile back at the man's words, her cheeks flushing pink. "Alright, I give." She giggled. "But still, don't you want to rest?"

"Nah, I'm good. And besides, I still need to find a present for my person." Gold answered, proceeding to walk around the store they were in, scanning the books on the shelf.

"Oh, good, wait- what?" Mira stopped in her tracks. "You _haven't_ bought a gift for the secret Santa yet? Gold, the party's tomorrow night!"

"I-I know. That's why I'm looking around now, for the perfect gift! Although I very much would like to give him some stinky old socks." He said, not processing his words enough. Once it did, though, beads of sweat started to form on his temple.

"What? Why would you give your person some stinky old-" She stopped again, realizing who Gold might have gotten for his secret Santa, "NO! You are _not_ giving him stinky old socks!"

"Hehe...I guess you know who's my person now?" Gold sheepishly chuckled.

"Seriously, don't. Gosh, how childish can you get?" Mira sighed, shaking her head.

"Hmp." He huffed, crossing his arms, turning away. "I mean, if you were going to give a gift to a person you hate, wouldn't you be tempted to give them the same?"

"Not really. But I would give them an item in their least favorite color, or in the most obnoxious color just to annoy them." Mira replied, shrugging. "Anyway, I don't really get why you hate Varian so much. Sure, it's okay to be a protective brother, but what made you hate him to this extent?"

"Oh, right. You don't know this yet, but according to the Princess, Varian used to be a criminal. Yeah, and get this. He _attacked_ the kingdom, _committed_ treason, _kidnapped_ the Queen, and _helped_ the Saporians take over the kingdom. I think that's enough of a reason to hate him. " Gold explained, listing off with his fingers. "Basically, the kid used to be a hardcore criminal."

"Eugene's an ex- wanted criminal ALL over the country, maybe even the world, and you're friends with him." Mira stated, cocking a brow. "What makes it different for Varian?"

"I...have my reasons, not to hate him. Besides, who said we were friends?"

"Hmm, let's see. Ever since they arrived, you've been hanging a lot with the guy, making jokes with him, drinking, sparring with him, and whatnot. I think that's enough reason to know that you're friends." She responded, mocking his earlier answer.

"I'm just simply socializing." Gold scoffed. "Plus, Eugene was just a thief. Varian's a different case."

Mira shook her head, surrendering in defeat. "Fine, whatever floats your boat. But, Gold. Please try to get along with Varian. At least for your sister's sake? I mean, you two won't be seeing him again after the New Years." She pleaded.

"About that..." Gold trailed off, " I haven't told Soul that I'm not allowing her to go with them anymore." He admitted.

"GO-"

"-Look! We'll discuss that later, maybe after the Holidays. But right now, will you please help me find a gift for Varian?" Gold requested, clasping his hands together, interrupting his girlfriend's upcoming scolding by changing the subject.

Mira's mouth agape before shutting it close, taking a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. She meditated, not wanting to cause a scene inside the shop. "Fine. Okay, but you better tell her soon. Soul would be heartbroken if you wait any longer!"

"I know, I know. Just give me time, okay?" Gold responded. "So... What kind of gift do you think Varian would like?" He asked, smiling.

Mira sighed once again. Gosh, she's been sighing a lot this day. Well, that's to be expected when you spend a whole day with a child named Gold. Nevertheless, she loves this man, and his childish antics were both tolerable and endearing.

"Well, for one, I think he would like it if you stopped being so harsh on him."

"Yeah, no. Not gonna happen. But I'll tone it down a bit! Just for the holidays at least.." Gold countered, waving his hands. "Anything else?"

"Hmm...let me see.." Mira trailed off, placing a hand under her chin, thinking.

"You know, I tried to figure out what kind of stuff he likes." He said, picking up a mug from one of the shelves, catching Mira's attention.

"Oh? What happened?"

"I don't know, he stopped coming out of his room after that. I didn't get much out from him."

"Just...just what did you do?' She asked, eyeing the male in front of her.

Gold shrugged, placing the mug back down. "I just observed him, like Soul said. It didn't work, obviously."

Mira opened her mouth to say something when she noticed the doctor, Dr. Grei, running away from Rapunzel from the store's window. "What's going on?" She mumbled, exiting the store with Gold in tow. "Good morning, Raps! Say, what happened to Dr. Grei?"

"Oh! Mira, hi! Good morning!" Rapunzel greeted back, waving her hands. "And as for the doctor, I don't know. I saw him walking around, and when I was about to thank him for taking care of Lance, he just kind of, ran away."

"Huh, that's weird. Why would he run away, though?" Mira commented.

"Maybe knowing that you were a princess scared him off." Gold joked, chuckling but soon stopped when he saw Rapunzel look down, uncomfortably rubbing her arm as Pascal and Mira stared at him blankly. "I mean- maybe he has his reasons?" He added, smiling sheepishly.

Mira shook her head before placing a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Don't mind them, Raps. Both Dr. Grei AND Gold." She smiled. "By the way, what are you doing out here this early?"

"I was just taking a walk with Pascal. I always enjoyed winter." Rapunzel replied, petting Pascal. "And I see you two had a busy morning." She said, eyeing the bags of food Gold was carrying.

"Yeah. We're about to go home soon after Gold buys a gift for his secret Santa." Mira said, pointing a thumb over her shoulder, gesturing to the blond.

"Oh? You still haven't bought a gift yet?" Rapunzel asked.

"Clearly, not since- Ahem- not yet. I'm still having a bit of trouble what to give to my person." Gold responded, stopping himself from giving the woman a sarcastic reply, forgetting that Rapunzel was a princess. Good thing he managed to hold his tongue when talking business with the king, or else he really would have been a goner.

"Oh! Maybe you could help us, Rapunzel?" Mira happily suggested. 

"Sure! I would love to help!" The brunette agreed before realizing something. "But...wouldn't that mean he would have to tell me who his secret Santa is?" 

"It's fine. It's an emergency anyway, and it's not like I got you," Gold replied, rolling his eyes. 

Rapunzel glanced at Pascal. "Okay, then. Who did you get?"

"Varian."

"Oh...." Rapunzel visibly cringed upon the reveal. No wonder Gold was having trouble finding a gift. The man basically loathes the boy for reasons nobody knows. "Well... Varian loves everything science and mechanics, so maybe you could get him some new tools? Some safety equipment? A new pair of gloves? The limits are endless as long as it fits those categories I've mentioned."

Gold looked up in thought. Those weren't bad ideas. _Bingo!_ "Thank you so much for the ideas, Rapunzel! Truly! I know what to give him now." He stated before running off.

"Wait! Gold- and he's gone. I was about to offer to carry half of the things he was carrying." Mira sighed, turning to Rapunzel, who was shaking her head, grinning.

Gold quickly entered the store he knew where the item he had in his mind was, coming out a few minutes later with a new bag in hand, while also entering another store. After that, he started walking back to where Mira and Rapunzel were when he spotted the two ladies gushing over the displays of a jewelry store.

"Oh! Look at this one! It's simple, but it's very cute." Rapunzel squealed, pointing at a silver locket with flower carvings.

"Yeah, but I fancy this one more." Mira said, pointing at a golden necklace with half a heart, which seems to have a pair that holds the other half of the heart.

"Aww, that would be an adorable couple's necklace."

"Right?!"

They continued to gush and squeal about jewelry when they heard someone clearing their throat from behind them.

"Hello, ladies. A fan of jewelry, I see?" Good greeted, smirking.

"No, not really." Rapunzel denied. "I don't really like jewelry that much, and I'm not used to it. But I do admit that I love looking at them. It gives me inspiration sometimes."

"We were just looking. Have you bought your gift yet?" Mira asked, walking to stand in front of the man.

Gold nodded his head, holding up his left arm, showing them the bag. Well, he needed to point which bag since he was carrying three different bags (including the gift he bought) in his left arm.

"Great! Let's get going then." Mira announced as she and Rapunzel started walking forward, chatting on the way, thankfully not noticing that Gold wasn't following them.

Meanwhile, back in the house, Varian placed the last piece of the element he made with his new and upgraded Elemental Remogrifier into his other project.

"And....Done!" Varian cheered as he stood up to admire his work. It took a lot of snow, adjustments, and alchemy, but all of those mentioned above, plus a few sleepless nights were worth it now that the final piece is done. And what a masterpiece it is. Who knew snow works just as well as sand in terms of creating a new element? "Now to clean all of this up." He whispered, eyeing the mess he made. Thankfully, Gene was a very heavy sleeper, so he had no complaints or such from all the noises last night.

========(December 24, party time)======

"GO! EUGENE! GO!" Rapunzel cheered as she watched Eugene struggle to balance an egg sitting on the spoon in his mouth. 

"Go, Gold! Go, Varian!" Soul cheered, watching the game.

Now, I bet you're wondering why Varian's participating when he was the least enthused with all these party games stuff. Well, Eugene knew how to tickle the teen's competitive bone, reeling Varian in with childish taunts. The alchemist wasn't swayed that much at first, but soon he agreed, just so Eugene can stop....until Eugene cheated in the first game, angering Varian. And now, they're in a small competition with each other while the girls silently betted on who would win. Catalina and Soul were on Varian's side, while Rapunzel (Although she doesn't like cheating) and Kiera were on Eugene's side.

Soon enough, Gold arrived first at the finish line as Eugene was busy trying to trip Varian, the alchemist busy dodging him. 

"You two are being really childish." Gold commented after removing the spoon and egg from his mouth.

"If anything, Eugene's the one who's being childish. I'm just proving to him that cheating isn't winning." Varian replied.

Gold glanced at the teen before going to Mira to collect his prize.

The rest of the games went swimmingly well if we looked past Varian, Eugene, and Gold's competition. The blond man ended up joining their little rivalry towards the games because and Soul quotes. "I'm going to show these two how to win the best way." None of the others seemed to mind the guys turning the games into some war since everyone was happy. Also, if anyone's wondering who won their competition, none of them won. Catalina won most of the games, with Rapunzel in second place. 

"There, there. I would say something comforting, but you three were being extremely childish, forgetting why we're doing the games and stuff. But hey! At least you guys had fun." Soul comforted, crouching by the sulking guys. 

"What's the point in life if you tried so hard to prove something, only to fail and lose in the end?" Varian muttered, flopping on the floor by Soul's feet. His statement made Gold's ears perk up. Something about that line meant...way more than what it should have been.

"Hey, at least you've tried. Better than being silent about it, right?" Soul replied, patting his head. "I mean, you were fighting for what's right after all. I think that's very heroic of you."

Varian went silent at her response. His sudden quiet demeanor caused the lavender-haired girl to sweat inwardly, thinking if she said something wrong. "Yeah...yeah, you're right. Thanks."

"Wow, you three look so tired." Catalina stated, laughing at her friends.

"They went all in earlier." Rapunzel laughed, helping Eugene up.

"Well, you three will like our next event." Mira cheerfully announced.

"There's more?!?!" The three simultaneously questioned as they abruptly sat up, their eyes wide.

"It's dinner time! Unless you three want to- " Before Mira could even finish her sentence, the three men quickly stood up, making their way to the dining area, "- sleep. Well, there they go. Come on, let's follow them before they finish everything."

Rapunzel stayed behind for a bit, picking up the paper when she noticed Lance not moving from his seat since earlier. "Lance? Aren't you joining them?" She asked. 

"Oh! Uh, yes. I'll be going there now." Lance replied, standing up but not before glancing up the stairs. "You coming, your highness?"

"I'll be there soon. I'm just picking up the mess." Lance nodded his head, entering the dining hall, leaving Rapunzel in the living room. 

"Oh, boy! Mira, this cooking is exquisite!" Eugene complimented, taking a huge bite off the chicken leg.

"Opposites really do attract. Gold's miserable at cooking. It's good he found someone who'll cook for him." Soul said, giving her brother a teasing smile.

Gold choked on his juice, blushing in embarrassment as he glared at his sister. "Hey! Keep that between us, please!" He said as Soul laughed a small sorry.

"Lance! Sit next to us!" Catalina called, patting the chair between her and Kiera. Lance just shrugged before complying. 

"Hey, bud, you've got to try all these! Mira's an excellent cook." Eugene invited, gesturing to the feast at the table. "Especially, the chicken! Who knew that a chicken could taste this good?"

"Uh, sure." Was all Lance said, filling his plate with just mashed potatoes and some vegetables, not even bothering to touch the meat.

Dinner time rolled by quickly, and now, everyone's just chilling in the living room by the fireplace, listening to each other telling stories.

"So, Rapunzel hit you with a frying pan... how many times when you met?" Soul asked, clutching her pillow close to her as she leaned forward.

Eugene looked up, trying to remember, "I think about three times." 

"How are you not dead?"

Eugene just shrugged as he continued to tell his story of how he and Rapunzel met. "I really thought I was gonna die, that it was the end of me. And then suddenly, the light pulled me back. When I woke up, I thought I caught a glimpse of an angel, but I saw something more beautiful." He then glanced at Rapunzel, taking her hand in his, "My sun."

"Awwww!" Mira, Catalina, and Gene cooed.

"Why couldn't you like, let her heal you first before you cut her hair off?" Soul confusedly asked. "I mean, what if Rapunzel never got to revive you?"

"Well, my mind was practically blank at the time. All I could think about was to save Rapunzel, no matter what happens to me, what's important is that she's safe." He explained. "I know that the moment Rapunzel heals me, it's game over. Gothel would take her away forever, and I can't have that. So with what little strength I had left, I did what I had to do. I cut her hair off."

"You love Rapunzel so much that you'd give your life away for her?"

"You see, Soul. When you love someone, and when the time comes that you must choose be it your life or theirs. You'd choose their life over yours in a heartbeat." He finished, giving the girl a soft smile. "That's what real love is."

Gold quietly listened to Eugene's speech. Small memories of their parents flooded in his mind. He jolted a bit when he felt a hand wiping something from his cheek. Looking down, he saw Mira looking up at him. Gold smiled a bit, grabbing the woman's hand from her cheek, nuzzling into it.

"You okay?" Mira quietly asked.

"I'm okay."

"Now that I've told my story." Eugene then nudged Gold, startling the man. "How 'bout you tell yours, Romeo?"

"Tell what?" The latter asked, raising a brow.

"You know, how you and Mira fell for each other." Eugene clarified, smirking.

"Oh! I want to know too!" Soul piped up, her eyes sparkling.

"Well..." Gold trailed off as he buried his face in Mira's hair in an attempt to hide his red face.

Mira giggled in his arms, reaching to pat his head before turning to look at everyone. "Well, two years ago, when I was on my way to...visit a friend, I found Gold sprawled on the ground, beneath the snow. At first, I thought it was just snow, but after digging him out, a wagon was also resting on top of his legs. It took me about an hour to get the wagon off. I thought about taking him to the nearest clinic in Corona, but with the harsh blizzard and the fact that we're a bit far from the capital, I just took him home with me." She then looked at Soul. "I'm sorry if you thought your brother died. I don't really know who he was, and there was no one to ask, so I just took him with me."

Soul shook her head. "I'm glad you saved him. I...never really thanked you properly for that yet, but...thank you. Thank you so SO much, Mira." She said, grinning.

"Awww, come here." Mira sat up, opening her arms as Soul stood up and hugged her, while Gold watched the two, smiling softly. 

"So, what happened next?" Rapunzel eagerly asked.

"I guess it's my turn to tell the story." Gold said as he cleared his throat. "Of course, when I woke up, I was very confused. And then, Mira showed up, looking pretty. Heh." He chuckled, remembering how much he was stunned by her beauty when he first met her. "Then she informed of what happened. She helped me recover, took care of me, and as much as I didn't want to, she also helped me clean myself since my legs weren't working."

"He was very embarrassed." Mira laughed.

"Of course, I was." Gold replied, blushing. "And, after a few months when I learned that I wouldn't be able to use my legs anymore. I...had a huge breakdown, and...Mira was there to help me through it all. She never once left my side...and that's when I knew that I...that she's...she's the one I want to spend my life with." He finished.

"Gold..." Mira softly trailed off, gazing into the man's eyes before closing the gap between the two of them.

"Ohoho! Get it, Gold!" Eugene laughed, cheering for his friend when Varian smacked the back of his head, reminding him that there are kids in the room.

"What does he mean, Rapunzel?" Gene asked, looking up at the Princess.

"Uhm, ignore what Eugene said, Gene." She replied.

Lance was about to stand up and excuse himself when the bell chimed, signaling that it was now Christmas! 

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!" Everyone chorused, giving each other a huge hug.

"Okay, let's start with the secret Santa! I'll start." Soul volunteered, standing up to get her gift from the Christmas tree before walking towards Eugene. "Merry Christmas, Eugene!"

"Oh! Thank you, Star Gazer." He said as he tested the gift's weight. "This seems pretty heavy." With that, Eugene proceeded to unwrap the gift. "WOAH- KID!? HOW?" He screamed when he saw the knife he was looking at a few days ago.

"Uh, I was with you when you were asking for it, remember? You know, before you left me."

"EEEEK! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Eugene squealed, giving the knife a few practice swings before he continued to gush about it. Saying things like how he'll treat it as his baby, promising to care for it.

"Eugene, it's your turn." Kiera said, snapping Eugene out of his fanboy mode.

"Right!" Eugene remembered, clearing his throat, grabbing his gift from the Christmas tree. " The person I got for my secret Santa is none other than my best compadre, my partner in crime, literally. And my best buddy! Lance Strongbow." He announced, giving his gift. "Merry Christmas, Lance."

Lance looked at the gift before giving him a small thank you. He opened his gift, revealing a crimson coat with gold and white trimmings. "It's a...jacket."

"In your favorite color! I remembered how you said that you were growing out of your old one, so here, a better replacement. Do you like it?" Eugene exclaimed, spreading his arms wide. "Come on, bring it, bud!"

"Uhm...I'm not up for hugs, Eugene. I'm...still not feeling good." Lance declined, shaking his head as Eugene sadly dropped his arms. 

"Oh, okay. But you like it, right?" 

"Yeah. I do. Thanks, bud." Lance replied, smiling. "I guess, it's my turn now." He said as he stood up to grab his gift. "Uhm, I'm sorry if I couldn't buy you a better gift because I didn't have the energy to actually go outside. But, here, Catalina. Merry Christmas."

Catalina took the horribly wrapped gift from her father, unwrapping it to find an unused notebook. Her facial expression dropped a bit since she was expecting something more from Lance since the man usually doted on her and Kiera. "T-thank you, papa." She smiled, giving Lance a huge hug.

Varian stared at Lance, silently observing him as the man failed to return the young redhead's hug. Something was wrong with Lance. It's not like him to be like this...lazy? If he would even call it that. 

The gift-giving went on after that. Catalina gave Gene two new clothes, which the boy loved very much. Gene gave Rapunzel some cookies Soul helped him bake earlier with a Christmas card. Rapunzel gave Mira a green dress. Mira gave Kiera and Catalina matching jackets with wolf ears and tails sewn into them. And Kiera gave Gold underwear, saying she really doesn't know what to give the man.

And now, we're down to two people who have not given their person their gifts yet. Taking a deep breath, Gold stood up and grabbed his gift before pushing it towards Varian. 

"Merry...Christmas." He greeted, though he wasn't meeting him in the eye.

Varian stared at the man, then at the gift, mumbling a small thank you. He has to admit, he was quite nervous. What kind of gift would his biggest hater give him? A death card? No. Gold wasn't that mean, right? Stinky old socks? That's...that's much better, granted that he'll probably spend hours brushing the smell away. But at least it was harmless for the most part.

"What are you waiting for? Open it. It's not like something's gonna come out and kill you when you do." Gold stated, urging him to open the box.

Would nothing really come out and kill him, though? _Only one way to find out._ Varian slowly reached for the box's lid, opening it with a shaky hand. His eyes closed on instinct as he prepared himself to be stabbed or something. But when nothing of the sort came, he slowly opened them to see Gold snickering at him. Varian raised a confused brow as he finally looked down to see the box's contents. 

"Merry Christmas, kid." Gold greeted again, grinning this time.

"THESE ARE- WHERE- HOW??!" Varian screamed, grabbing one of the tools.

"Fritzburg's hardware has a twin store in Ingvarr, and both stores trade with each other monthly. Thought you might like these since you're such a nerd." 

Varian carefully ran his finger down the pure iron wrench as he examined the other tools. Even the hammer was made of iron. Well, it's to be expected since Ingvarr IS the Iron kingdom. "I love it, thank you." He stated, grinning as he clutched the hammer to his chest.

"No..no problem. Glad you liked it." Gold replied, looking away as the alchemist continued to smile at him. _Maybe he's not that bad after all..._

"You're the last one, Varian! Take it away!" Eugene cheered.

 _Oh, right...I'm next_.

"Wait, who's the only one who didn't receive a gift yet?" Catalina asked, looking at everyone.

"Soul." Gene answered as everyone turned to the lavender-haired girl and the black-haired boy.

If Varian wasn't nervous earlier, _now,_ he was. He walked towards the Christmas Tree, grabbing a yellow box. He stared at it for a while, contemplating if his gift was stupid or not or- No! He has to be confident about this. He worked hard to make it. She'll like it. _She'll like it._

"H-here. Merry Christmas, Soul. I...hope you like it." He said, bashfully handing the girl his present.

Soul carefully took the box from his hand, their fingers brushing together for a moment, both of them taking a mental note of how warm the other's hand was with that small touch. Placing the box on her lap, the astrologer began to open it, letting out a soft gasp.

"Varian, this is beautiful!" She exclaimed, pulling the book out, flipping a few pages to see that it was blank, probably for her to fill out. But what she loved about it the most was the design in the front. There were yellow crystals forming Cygnus with white beads scattered around the constellation to look like stars. 

"I remembered how you said that you love to write in your free time. So, I got you this blank book. The design didn't come with it, though. I...designed that myself." Varian explained, looking everywhere but the girl. It was a good thing that he decided to remove his gloves because if he didn't, it would surely flood inside with how sweaty his palms were being right now. 

"You didn't just remember that I write. You also remembered my favorite constellation." Soul squealed, hugging the book tighter.

"Do you...like it? B-be honest with me, I can ha-" 

"-I love it!" Soul happily shouted, jumping up to hug the teen, interrupting his sentence in the process. "Thank you."

Varian's eyes grew wide for a moment before they softened up, hugging back, smiling. "No problem. But...just so you know, I'd give the stars for you." He said, whispering the last part in her ear.

"Varian, I-"

"- Okay, that's enough hugging!" Gold yelled, breaking the two apart but not before sending Varian a small glare.

 _...Or maybe not.._ Varian thought, finishing his earlier statement.

"Anyways! Look! I have a gift for you too, baby sister!" Gold cooed, revealing a purple-wrapped gift. Soul gave the teen behind her brother an apologetic smile before thanking Gold for the gift.

"Since the secret Santa's over now, it's time for more presents!" Mira announced, giving everyone a small gift she made.

"Wow! These are so cute, Mira, thank you!" Rapunzel said, hugging the red-haired woman. 

Mira gave everyone small crocheted plushies. Rapunzel, a chameleon. Eugene, a pony. Lance, a bear. Varian, a raccoon. Kiera, a tiger. Catalina, a wolf. And Soul, a cat.

"This is so adorable!" Soul awed, nuzzling the cat plushie.

"Hey, Ruddiger, look! It looks like you." Varian called, showing his raccoon his plush version of him. 

Ruddiger sniffed the plush, taking it from Varian's hand before hugging it close to him, chittering in delight.

"Well, then. Looks like it's his now." Varian chuckled.

Soul lit up. "Oh! Let me try. Flick!" She called as her fox friend instantly appeared, barking at her. "Look. A cat!"

Flick tilted his head before turning away, sashaying away from her. 

"Alright, you sassy, fox." Soul huffed, earning a soft laugh from Varian. "Hoots?" She asked, looking up to see the owl, who was sitting on top of the clock. "Cat?"

Hoots shook his head in reply.

"Well, this cat plush stays with me."

Varian laughed, shaking his head. "Sooo.."

"Sooo?"

"Where's this gift you were planning?" He teasingly asked, leaning down on her height.

"I thought you heard nothing?" Soul asked back with the same sass, looking up at him.

"Oh! Right, I didn't hear anything. Let's start over." Varian cleared his throat, standing straight. "Do you have a gift for me?" He said, holding out his hand as he gave her a small wink.

Soul laughed, smacking the teen lightly. "Wait here." She replied. And with that, she left the teen's side, going up the stairs.

Varian smiled at her back before turning around to come face to face with Gold, his face dropping at the man's intimidating expression. 

"I'll....I'll just go." He said as he hurriedly went around the man to talk to Eugene.

Meanwhile, upstairs. Soul happily skipped to Gold and hers shared room when she noticed the door seemed to be open, even though she remembered that it was closed earlier. Silently peeking into the room, her eyes widened at the sight of all their things littered on the floor and a familiar burly man rummaging through the closet.

" _Lance?_ "

**Author's Note:**

> \------------------  
> A Varian Fanfiction. Credits to Disney Animations. I do not own Tangled the Series. The only thing i own is the plot, the OCs and the names of the places.


End file.
